Conquered by a Kiss
by Spiderkltty
Summary: Viola Niemi was a normal twelve year old girl who only wanted one thing for her thirteenth birthday: her first kiss. Little did she know that this fateful first would be the new beginning to the rest of her life. UPDATED 1/11/2013
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE - The Beginning

Twelve year old Viola Niemi was what people would say an average middle school girl would be. A bright young star in class, she was also a member of the cross-country team, enjoyed video games, and was expanding her friend list to accommodate her new found interest in boys. No more playing with dolls or girly dress up for her. Viola was nearing her thirteenth birthday, and she could only think of one PERFECT birthday gift: her first kiss.

She was thoroughly jealous of her classmates and friends who had already shared that special moment with someone they held dear. It's not that Viola wasn't attractive. Quite the opposite. She was the envy of all the girls for her long soft brown hair, big dark brown eyes, and petite stature; however, Viola was an early bloomer, and the attention made her younger, naive self embarrassed. But now that more girls were sharing the spotlight, Viola decided that it was time to grow up, and move on to the next stage of her life. She knew this stage would begin with her first kiss.

Little did she know how right she would be...

Finally, it was the week of Viola's birthday, and she was anxious in anticipation. '_I wonder if I will get what I want for my birthday_' she blushed at the thought. Rumors from her circle of girlfriends was that there was a boy that was waiting for a chance to ask her on a birthday date, but no one would give her hints on who. They promised her it would be a special surprise. Viola hoped it was her own crush, Ricky. A grade ahead of her, he was definitely one of the most popular boys in school. A suave boy like him with experience would definitely make a first kiss for any girl memorable. She sighed as the bell rang to end class, snapping her out of her day dream.

As she was gathering her books for the next class, she noticed someone approaching her from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to get a better look, hoping it was Ricky to ask her on that date. To her disappointment, it wasn't, but she was still happy that it was her friend, Cael. Cael had been friends with Viola since the beginning of the school year. He had hit a growth spurt during the year, making him quite taller than Viola. He was also known for his chivalrous nature, and his infectious cute smile. But Cael was also known to be quite the charmer with the ladies, and the trail of heartbreaks he left was always followed in the gossip circle. Despite his reputation, Viola found Cael to be a great guy friend, and quite enjoyed their conversations together. Cael stopped about a foot away from her locker.

"Hey" he stated with his signature cheeky grin on his face.

"Hey Cael. What's up?" Viola turned her attention back to her locker, grabbing her last book needed and stuffing it in her bag.

"Oh, nothing much. Just haven't seen you all day and wanted to see how you were doing."

"Aw, well that's sweet of you Cael." She closed her locker. "And I'm doing fine. My birthday IS this week, you know."

"How could I forget?" He rubbed the back of his neck. His light brown hair was growing longer than he was used to, and he often told Viola it was starting to tickle his neck. But he stuck with it to Viola's suggestion about "changing it up once in awhile."

Viola smiled at his remark and motioned that she was going to head towards the next class. Cael proceeded to walk beside her.

"So, um..." Viola finally said, puzzled at the sudden silence from Cael, "is something wrong?"

Cael turned his eyes away for a moment, and Viola swore she saw his face get a little pink. _Cael blushing? This NEVER happens._

They both stopped in front of Viola's next class. Silence again. Viola hoped Cael would hurry up and say what was wrong. The bell would ring any second, and she didn't want either of them to be late.

"Viola, I know we've been friends for awhile," he finally blurted. "But, to be honest I've just been hiding my real feelings from you. I was scared of rejection, so I never took a chance, but I'm not afraid now. And I know how I've been acting this school year, and how many girls I've been with, but I want you to know that I would never hurt you, Viola. Not like that. And now I'm just rambling...crap..."

Viola just stood there, stunned. Cael was talking really fast, and that much information in such a short few seconds was overwhelming. _What?_

"Viola, what I'm trying to say is... You've told me what you wanted more than anything else for your birthday, and I want to be the guy who obliges you... that is, if you'll let me."

Viola was still in shock. All she could think of was _'why?'_ She had always found Cael quite charming, but since becoming friends had never even dreamed of having a moment like this. This boy and her had shared together their secrets, their deepest fears, and their hidden desires. She had thought that by crossing that boundary, this moment was impossible. And here it was. She blushed

"Cael...I.."

The bell rang.

Cael hung his head as he started to turn away. Viola grabbed his shirt quickly. Cael jerked as he turned to face her. "I would really like that, Cael".

She scurried into her class. Cael ran away to his, wildly grinning.

Later that evening, they would plan out their date on the phone. Sunday, they would go see a movie. They would both be 13, so Viola suggested that whatever PG-13 movie there at the time would be fine. It was the closest other thing a 13 year old would find as a perk to being that age. Cael kept repeating if Viola was sure about this. He didn't want her to feel obligated, and promised they would still be friends if she changed her mind. Viola confirmed. She trusted Cael. She was looking forward to their time together.

Sunday finally came. After tediously going through her wardrobe for a perfect outfit, she would decide on a pink button down blouse and jeans. She wasn't totally accustomed to wearing make-up yet, but since it was sure to be a memorable day she decided to experiment a little. Nothing too crazy - brown eyeliner, black mascara, and a little pink blush. She wrapped her hair up in a simple ponytail. _Done._

After a nice celebratory dinner with the family, her parents dropped her off at the theater. The car sped off, and Cael approached Viola from a shaded area.

"Wow...you look great." he said with a smile.

Viola blushed. She had seen that smile before, but never toward her. "Thanks"

They approached the ticket booth. Viola was ready to pull out some of the birthday money she had received, but Cael stopped her. "A gentleman ALWAYS pays" He winked. Same thing would happen for snacks.

The movie they picked was some weird comedy. Unfortunately for Viola, she would be too apprehensive of WHEN "it" was going to happen that she barely remembered the plot. Here they were, in a dark theater, and rumor was that Cael was known to make moves in dark theaters. Halfway through the movie, Cael stretched his arms, and gently placed them around Viola. Viola slowly made eye contact with him, but all he did was grin at her and turned back to the movie. She smirked at his trickery, and cautiously placed her head on his shoulder. His scent was of spice and a hint of expensive cologne. It was soothing, and actually quite seductive. She stayed in that position for the rest of the movie...but still nothing happened...and before she knew it: credits. And the lights turned up.

Viola started getting worried. Contemplating - _'Did he change his mind?'_

She headed towards a pay phone when Cael finally broke the silence.

"Hey, you wanna hit up that store we always go to before you call your parents?"

"Uh...sure?" _This wasn't a date... it was a friendly hang out all over again._ Which was fine she guessed, but she was feeling a little disappointed.

"Great!"

He took her hand and they headed across the field to towards the store. Cael speeds up a little to get in front of Viola. He let go of her hand and grinned at her...then started speeding off.

"Hey!"

Viola started darting after him. Viola was never good at sprinting though, just stamina, so Cael was able to lose her as he turned the corner to the front of the store. Viola finally made it around the corner too...but Cael was nowhere to be found. "Cael?" She walked in the tiny store. She went aisle by aisle, but he wasn't inside. She went back outside and looked both ways and in between cars. Still nothing. She headed around the other side of the store. "Cael?" she tried again. No answer. In front of her was a pile of boxes, an empty dumpster, and other various things you would expect to find in an alley around a store. She walked slowly forward, looking behind everything, but to no avail. She turned another corner and ended up behind the store. Nothing back here...then...

"GOTCHA" Cael grabbed Viola from behind. Viola jumped, and swore her heart literally skipped a beat. She turned around to a laughing Cael. She instinctively hit him in the arm and started laughing too. As the laughter died down, Viola noticed Cael was still holding on to her.

Now, here they were standing towards each other, with about a foot of space. Cael looked down at her. She had never seen him look so serious. Was he just as scared as she was? He stepped in closer, closing the gap between them.

"I really care about you, Viola" he whispered. "A lot." He brushed the stray hair from her face and brushed her cheek. Viola started feeling flushed. She was speechless yet again. In her embarrassment, she looked away.

Cael gently redirected her face up towards his. Their eyes met. Viola never noticed it before, but his eyes were of the purest hazel she had ever seen. They were gorgeous, and they wouldn't stop gazing into hers. Time seemed to stand still.

Cael moved his face closer. He delicately placed his forehead on hers. Now Viola could feel his breathing. Her legs began to tremble. He never lost eye contact. "Viola..." he whispered again as he began to close his eyes and lean in.

Viola closed her eyes in anticipation. Then...the moment. Their lips touched. Viola couldn't believe it. Her mind was racing as his soft lips started deepening into hers. A moment of pure ecstasy...

*FLASH*

A sharp pain hit Viola behind her lips and eyes. She felt paralyzed.

She couldn't open her eyes.

She couldn't yell out in pain.

And she could no longer feel Cael.

After a moment of what she perceived as blinding light in her mind then turned to total darkness. Darkness of a pitch she could not have imagined until that moment.

It was terrifying.

The pain increased.

Black darkness then turned blood red.

She began to feel a chill...which turned to freezing cold.

What was happening?

_CAEL!_

…*BANG*


	2. Chapter 2

**_First, I want to thank you for reading this. Posting this is kind of nerve racking since it's my first fan fic, so I thank you for continuing onward into the story. I also want to thank Hanako Games for making Magical Diary with such an amazing and unique world. Finally, I want to thank my friend, PrinceDwi, for encouraging me to write this, and helping me improve where possible. _**

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TWO – The Choice<p>

Viola's eyes snapped open. The pain had subsided as fast as it had arrived. Cael's lips were still placed on hers, but something felt wrong. Viola wasn't sure what had happened, and very unsure of what to do next. Finally he backed away from the kiss, but instead of a smile, Cael's face showed no emotion. She met his eyes with hers, and they looked lifeless.

"Cael?"

He slowly let go of her.

"Cael?"

Cael didn't respond.

He started walking away towards the theater. Viola followed him in silence. _What the hell just happened? What was that?_

When they reached the theater, Viola tried conversing with Cael again, but to no avail. He simply called his parents and told them to pick him up. Nothing was said after. It was as if Viola wasn't there. But she definitely wasn't invisible. Before Cael's parents arrived, her parents picked her out of the theater crowd no problem. She wasn't sure what to do, so she just waved goodbye to Cael.

As soon as Viola arrived home, she ran to her room, and cried.

She had ruined her first kiss. And she wasn't even sure how.

The next day at school, Cael was still giving her the silent treatment. He barely even responded to anyone else. Had she ruined his day yesterday THAT bad? Was he so disappointed of her that he was in shock? Viola tried to hide what had happened the day before by acting like everything was fine, and Cael was just under the weather. She was so embarrassed and humiliated. _'How can I make this right?'_

After school, she tried to contact Cael by phone. No answer...

Then, the phone rang later that evening. Viola rushed downstairs, hoping it was Cael calling her back.

She picked up the phone.

Whoever was on the other line was in hysterics. Viola could barely understand them.

"Hello? Wait...what? I can't understand you. Calm down a little. What happened?"

"Viola...CAEL'S DEAD!"

...Viola dropped the phone...

Cael was found dead in his room. No note. No clues as to why. He just...did.

Viola cried all that night...she didn't go to school the next day...or the day after...she just didn't have the energy.

Someone dropped by and let her know the funeral was that weekend.

_'What happened?'_

Viola mustered up the courage to go to his funeral. Cael was one of her greatest friends. She was supposed to share a special moment with him. It was supposed to be perfect. And she was probably the last one to see life in his eyes. She had to go.

The funeral was simple. Friends, family, and a few teachers paid their respects. It was a bright sunny day...but Viola could feel no warmth. She felt pins...needles...cold. No more tears. She was totally numb. She KNEW it was her fault

Immediately after the funeral, a few friends tried to approach Viola to make sure she was okay. She feigned a smile to try to subside their worries. "I just need time to myself is all..." she would respond to them. Then, some would become curious as to what happened that weekend. Were there any ominous signs? Any strange behaviors? Viola knew that there was, but she dare not tell anyone. How could she explain it anyway? She didn't know herself. All she knew was that _something _terrible and horrifying had occurred...as a result...

Cael was dead.

She decided to walk home. It was a few miles. But she needed to be alone in her thoughts. While she continued on her way, she suddenly became scared of the future. _What will become of me?_ The burden of such a big secret began to make her feel lonely. She knew nothing would be the same, even if she tried to make it so. On the outside she could pretend to be the same happy and carefree Viola Niemi of the past, but what about inside? She hated herself...and she had no idea why.

_What do I do?_

As she stumbled past the park a few blocks from her house, she heard someone call her name.

"Viola Niemi?"

She turned toward the direction of the call. The park was empty, but there on a park bench was an older woman, dressed in a pink coat, with golden orange curly hair. Viola had never seen her before. Was it really her calling? The older woman smiled towards Viola. "Viola Niemi?" _'How did she know my name?'_

Viola was weary about the situation, but something told her it was OK to talk to this woman. She headed towards her.

"Sit down. Don't be shy." The woman gave a gentle smile. Viola sat down on the opposite end of the bench. She hung her head low. "How do you know me?"

"Oh I know all about you, Miss Niemi" the woman nodded towards her. "And I've been waiting for you."

_This sounds pretty creepy. Stalker woman?_

"OK...so what?" Viola answered nonchalantly.

"Viola...it's not your fault what happened to your friend."

'_Huh?' _Viola jerked her head at the woman.

"It wasn't your fault."

Viola could barely control herself at this remark.

"What the hell are you talking about lady!" Viola stood up and bent over towards the woman in anger. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW!"

"Now now Viola, calm down." Viola felt a sudden shiver. _A breeze?_ It was an overwhelming sense of peace. The woman smiled at her. Viola knew the feeling came from the woman.

Surprised, Viola backed down.

"Who are you?" Viola whispered.

"It depends on who you want to be, Viola." The woman answered, matter-of-factly.

Viola stayed silent. The lady continued.

"You see, what happened between you and your friend last week...was magic. And I mean that literally, my dear. You. are. a. witch...or at least you could be."

Viola's eyes widened. _'Are you kidding me?'_

"No I'm not kidding Miss Niemi."

_'What?' _

"Yes...I can read your thoughts." the professor smiled at her. "I have had mental contact with you since your blossoming happened last week. It was one of the strongest contacts I've had outside of the magical world in a long time..."

She paused, and became more serious.

"It was terrifying."

Viola stumbled back to sit on the bench. _Was this really happening? Was this a cruel joke?_

"But magic isn't real." Viola finally said.

"Oh yes my dear it most certainly is. Unless you don't want it to be."

Viola became confused, but intrigued about the crazy things this old woman was saying.

"So I can choose who you are, and if magic is real? And _how_ do I have these choices?"

The woman smiled.

"My name is Professor Potsdam. I am headmistress at Iris Academy, a magical school for young witches & wizards in training. Usually I wouldn't be making such a personal visit to a new witch such as yourself, but you are a special case."

The professor stood up and began pacing in front of Viola, and continued.

"Normally, a new witch or wizard would discover their powers more personally. A feat of strength. Telekinesis. The ability to talk with animals. But as I have said, I have never felt such a strong contact from a new blossom."

She stopped in front of Viola, and gazed down at her with a saddened look.

"Your magical powers are so strong, unfortunately, you were able to curse your friend."

Viola's eyes began to tear up. She knew it. It really was her fault. She looked down as tears began streaming down her face, but she dared not make a sound of pain...especially in front of a stranger.

The professor cleared her throat, quietly.

"I was obligated to come here and personally give you this choice: Either attend Iris Academy starting the Autumn after your 16th birthday, or lose your magic and continue to live as a normal mortal."

Viola sniffed. "Sounds simple enough. Why would I ever want to risk harming another person?" She could barely speak through all the tears and her stuffy nose.

Potsdam frowned. "It doesn't always have to be like that, though. Viola, you have so much potential. Your magic could be used for so much good, if only you learned to wield it properly. At Iris Academy, we can show you how. I know what happened was very unfortunate, and I sympathize with you, and everyone that has lost your friend in their lives. But you do not need to fear yourself due to your misfortune. Believe you can do good, and it will be so."

Viola had a hard time wrapping her head around that. How could she possibly become 'good' after such an evil act. How could she risk having that happen again? "So what exactly happens if I say no."

Potsdam began to kneel in front of her crying companion.

"You forget any of this ever happened. You'll forget memories of that evening, you'll forget this conversation, and your magic power will be drained."

Viola sniffled. _Perfect._ "That sounds exactly like what I need."

Potsdam frowned again. "Well, _I _don't think so. Do you really want to forget those last moments with someone whose fate was tied to you? I know that if your memories are erased it wont matter, but think about it now that you do have those memories. Would you rather live in ignorance of what you have done? Is that really justice? Or, would you want the memory of your friend to strengthen your resolve to do good with the gift you have been granted?"

Viola finally looked face to face with the headmistress. Ignorance did sound good in theory, but was it morally right to forget her fault in her friends death? Let's face it, he wasn't even a friend anymore...he was possibly her first romance. Did she really want to forget all that?

Flashbacks of her time together with Cael came to Viola's mind. The first time they met during lunch, and found they had so much in common. The first time she cried in front of him over a boy. Cael's confession to her at school. And finally, the look in his eyes before the fatal kiss. Their time together had been short, but very sweet. She owed him so much.

Viola knew what the right choice would be.

"...What do I do for the next three years then?"

Potsdam's eyes lit up. She had succeeded.

"You live your life as normal as possible. In this case, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to date anyone until you get to the Academy. But everything else, you should be fine. You must keep your abilities a secret. You can't tell friends or family. If you do, or if anyone finds out through other means, like say, a journal or self talk, then you will be immediately stripped of your magic and memories of parties involved will be erased. You will have to make this oath with me now. And we take oaths very seriously in our world."

Viola nodded, but was confused.

"Well, how can I attend your academy without anyone knowing why?"

Potsdam finally smiled again. "We have our ways, blossom. It is magic after all"

Viola sat in thought for a moment. What did she have left to lose?

"I'll do it."

Potsdam stood up. She took Viola's hand and guided her to her feet. She then grasped both of Viola's hands. The professors hands were warm, and that warmth seemed to spread throughout Viola's body. Again, she felt at peace. Her eyes met with the professor's, and the gaze back was gentle and sincere. Viola was no longer afraid of what lay ahead of her. _This is it._

"Viola Aria Niemi, do you swear on your magic to keep it secret, keep the magical world secret, and to attend the Iris Academy when you are summoned to do so the Fall after your 16th birthday?"

Viola took a deep breath.

"I do so swear."

A gust of wind whirled around Viola and the professor.

"Good girl" And with a wink, the professor disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE – Iris Academy

The professor was right. Viola was able to live out her last three years outside of Iris Academy with relative ease.

Unfortunately, there was still the burden of carrying her big secret, and that still made Viola feel socially awkward. Her friends were planning things to do in high school, and even planning as far ahead as college. Viola knew she wouldn't be able to participate in most of these events, and she couldn't help but feel left out.

She decided it was best for her sanity to keep busy, and mostly keep to herself. Although she still participated on her cross country team, and participated in class discussions, she would decline any invitations to activities outside of school. Eventually, her friends moved on without her, and although she knew that it was best decision, she yearned for the years to finally end...

Then, the letter arrived right on time - Her 16th birthday

"_Miss Viola Aria Niemi,_

_You have been accepted to attend the prestigious Iris Academy, located in the peaceful and scenic Green Mountains. Only the most gifted are handpicked by our scouts to gain higher level skills and prepare young men and women to enter their new lives as adults. Iris Academy is a four year free private boarding school, with funds provided through various benefactors and alumni. We observe the regular two semesters of classes, with breaks for Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, and Spring. We, however, do not allow any electronic devices including phones, CD players, cameras, etc. This is to avoid distraction from studies, and create a better community through more interaction with your fellow students. Letters and packages are allowed, and are the preferred communication method. Move in starts the weekend of September 1st. Classes begin Monday, September 3rd. Enclosed is more information on which hall you will be staying, as well as items you are required to bring with you. _

_Hope to see you at Orientation. Enjoy the summer._

_Professor Potsdam_

_Headmistress, Iris Academy_

_Assigned Hall: Horse Hall, home of the courageous and adventurous young ladies..."_

During the summer, Viola would also receive a pair of uniforms. Gray robes, featuring a green belt with a horse emblem buckle badge, and a green cape. Her parent's found it odd, but they brushed it off. Their daughter was accepted to a prestigious boarding school, and all they had to pay was her allowance. Whatever they did there, including uniforms, was their business.

And as the days grew closer, Viola couldn't help but feel nervous. After 3 years, would she finally redeem herself for what had happened to Cael? There were no options. She had to do this. For him.

The day came for move-in, and the ride to Iris Academy was pretty uneventful. Her parents told her the usual things - be good, be respectful, study hard. Viola faked a smile at how proud they were of her. She wondered if they would still be proud if they knew the truth of how she got into this academy. They assumed it was her grades and well rounded nature. How far from the truth THAT was...

Suddenly, as they approached the gate, her dad stopped the car. "Here is your stop." _Weird _Viola thought. _It's like they have no desire to walk me in. _Viola got out of the car and grabbed her things. She gave both her parents goodbye hugs, and promised to write to them. As she stepped through the gate, she turned and waved goodbye, and both of her parents blew her a kiss. _'This is it'_ she thought to herself.

She reached into the pocket of her robe and grabbed the map. Horse Hall wasn't too far from the gate. As she walked in the general direction of her hall, she was amazed at the sights she saw. Upper class men were everywhere, showing off their magical abilities. Some made fire dance in the air. Others levitated balls or eggs. Viola giggled as one of the students accidentally dropped an egg on their own head. It made her wonder how much she would be able to do by the end of this year.

Finally she made it into Horse Hall. Room 103. The door was closed, so she placed her bags down to knock just in case her roommates had already arrived. But before she could, she saw someone approach from the corner of her eye.

"Oh wow. Room 103 huh? That was my room last year. Lots of memories." Viola turned to her right to see a taller, dark-skinned female looking at the door with her. Viola admired her short burgundy hair, and purple eyes. This girl was definitely magical. Viola couldn't help but stare.

"Something on my face?" the girl noticed Viola staring.

Viola looked away in embarrassment. "No...uh...just...I've never seen anyone with purple eyes before."

The girl laughed. "Oh...another wildseed huh?"

"Wildseed?"

"Yeah. Meaning you're not from a magical family. Your magic grew randomly. Thus the term 'wildseed.'"

The girl extended her hand to Viola.

"Virginia Danson. Sophomore."

"Viola Niemi."

Their hands met to a hardy shake.

"My family is a well known magic family." Virginia continued. "So if you need any help at all don't be afraid to ask. My room is just down the hall. Room 201."

Viola's eyes widened. "There's that many rooms here?"

Virginia laughed. "Oh no. The first number just designates your year. It's just the way they organized it."

Viola smiled. "Thanks so much."

"Enjoy the year, freshie!"

Virginia gave Viola a pat on the back and proceeded down the halls to her own room.

When Viola finally knocked on the door, there was no answer. She opened the door to find 3 beds and 3 desks, untouched. _'Guess I'm the first one here.'_

She took the bed farthest from the door. She wasn't sure how her other roommates would be like, so she decided to take the bed with the most privacy. She opened her bags to see what she could unpack. She placed her extra robe and essentials in the drawers of the desk. She placed her personal pillow on the bed, as well as changed the comforter to the one her parents had given her from home. Books were placed on her shelf. And finally, she reached the bottom of the last bag. Two picture frames. She placed the one of her parents on the the shelf with her books. It was a photo they had just taken over the summer. The one of Cael and herself, she placed on the desk closer to her bed. It was taken during lunch one day when Cael had snuck a camera into school. '_Hey Viola, come sit by me real quick' she remembered. He quickly wrapped an arm around her to pull her close and lengthened his arm with the camera away from the to snap the picture of the both of them. _She smiled at the memory.

After unpacking, her roommates still never arrived, so Viola decided to explore the hall a little. As she passed open rooms and arriving students, she wondered how many other wildseeds there were, and if any of them had as dark of an experience as she did discovering her magic. She hoped none of them had. And from all the smiling faces, she was _sure_ none of them had.

"Hey Ellen, it's that wildseed freshman I told you about."

She turned towards the voice. Room 201 was open. Virginia was standing there with a blonde, stout girl.

"Come on in!" Virginia beckoned her in.

Viola stepped into the room to Virginia's invitation. "Ellen, this is Viola. Viola, my roomie Ellen."

Viola shook Ellen's hand.

"Ellen is a wildseed too."

Viola smiled "Good to meet another one of my kind."

Ellen giggled "Don t worry, there's more of us than you think."

Viola looked around the room. Something was different about this room than the others.

"Hey, you only have two beds in here. Is that a sophomore privilege?"

"No, we just chose to keep it to the two of us."

"Oh. So you had a third roommate before?"

Virginia and Ellen shared an uneasy look.

"...Well...you see Viola..."

"HEY URCHIN! CATCH!"

Virginia and Ellen turned their heads towards the door. Before Viola could react, an object hurled towards Virginia. She caught it and screamed. It was a rat.

"WHAT THE...! DONALD!"

Viola looked surprised at the rat Virginia was holding. After squirming and squeaking for a few seconds it stopped and turned to rubber. It was fake.

"GET OUT DONALD!"

Viola finally turned her head towards the door. Two boys stood there, laughing. Both were wearing orange capes, with a Wolf badge on their belt buckle. One was dark-skinned, and looked like he could be related to Virginia, except he had black hair and dark gray eyes. The other boy was pale, sported blue hair and purple eyes. _'Purple eyes must be common for magical folk'_

"I'm not even in your room, Urchin." Donald sported a cheeky grin. _'Cheeky grins...' _Viola blushed. It was a soft spot.

Donald gave the other boy a high five.

Then he noticed Viola.

"New roomie?" Donald nodded towards Viola. She shook her head.

"No...no I just got here..."

Virginia piped in "Donald, this is Viola. A wildseed freshman. Viola, this is my loser brother, Donald. And that's his friend and roommate, Luke."

Both boys gave a graceful bow. Viola nodded back, unsure what to do. Luke then walked away from the door and out of sight.

Donald folded his arms and leaned against the doorway.

"Wildseed huh? Virginia does have a soft spot for you guys." Donald chuckled a bit. He then nodded at Ellen. "Good to see you again, Ellen." He turned to Virginia and grinned. "Urchin."

He stood straight again and turned away, but before doing leaving he directed his attention to Viola. This time he spoke with seriousness.

"Viola, lovely name. My favorite instrument."

He paused.

"Do me a favor? Be sure to listen to these two. Even if you don't agree...please listen. They mean well."

Donald walked away.

Viola stood there confused. _What was that about?_

Virginia placed the fake rat on her shelf. "That Donald..."

She the diverted her attention to Ellen. "Oh yeah, didn't you guys go to the May Day Ball together? What happened? I totally forgot about it."

Ellen smiled at her. "Nothing happened. It was nice, and he was a true gentleman, but we don't really have too much in common. We decided that being friends was enough."

Virginia smiled back. "GOOD...Or else you would be a loser too!" She threw her pillow at Ellen. They both shared a good laugh.

Viola smiled at both of them. She hoped her roommates would share the same connection with her.

"Well, I better check if my OWN roommates are here. Thanks for your hospitality."

"No problem." Virginia replied. "Remember, if you need anything, drop by anytime OK?"

"Alright. Bye!"

Viola waved as she stepped away from the door and walked towards her room. Room 103 was open. She walked in.

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><p><em><strong>I just noticed this chapter ended with a cliffhanger. Hope that's not flustering too many people ^^; Especially since I probably won't be posting Chapter 4 for awhile. Nursing school is pretty tedious. But do not fear. It will be up ASAP. Thanks!<strong>_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I feel like all I've done lately is study study study, and I apologize for neglecting the updating of this story. To be honest, this chapter has been done for awhile; however, I've revised it so many times. Plus, my editor, Princedwi (who I would like to thank AGAIN for helping me with this story), has also been swamped with work. Then, I revised it AGAIN due to the suggestion of a review to add more detail/descriptions (thanks for the tip!). I will try to also post Chapter 5 ASAP, but I've been revising that like a madwoman, and my editor hasn't even read it. _

_So, thanks again for your patience and continued interest in this story. This chapter is kinda filler, and contains some of the game script (which will be in **BOLD**) which, of course, I DO NOT take credit for. Thank Hanako Games for all the stuff in **BOLD. **Hope you enjoy!_

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><p>CHAPTER FOUR – Reunion<p>

Viola found the first weekend with her new roommates to be a little awkward. Both of her roommates were from magical families, and immediately knew each other. Serena Yule came from an ancient line of witches, which you could automatically assume with a name like "Yule." Rita Arias was a hybrid human (Viola didn't ask what the other half was), complete with furry ears and a tail. Apparently her older brother, Manuel Arias, was only a year ahead in Toad hall. After the introductions, Viola found she had little to discuss with the already acquainted duo. But they were cordial to her, so that was the least she could ask for. She looked forward to the start of classes.

Monday finally came, and all the freshman were herded into the gymnasium. To Viola's surprise, it was a large, "normal" looking school gym. Basketball hoops were hidden in the rafters, and bleachers extended along the walls. At the opposite end from the entrance was a stage with a single podium placed in the center. The crowd of freshmen were directed to sit on the bleachers, girl halls on one side, boy halls on the other. Viola sat next to her roommates as she barely knew anyone else who was a freshman. She wondered what they were doing there anyway. Were they here to sign up for classes? Then, a familiar face approached the center of the stage.

"**Hello, my little flower buds. Welcome to Iris Academy!"**

_'It's her! The woman from the park...'_

Around her, people start applauding.

_'Oh yeah, how could I forget? She said she was headmistress...'_

The room settles back to silence, as the witch onstage continued.

"**My name is Professor Potsdam, and I will be one of your instructors in the ways of magic. For some of you, this is the beginning of an adventure such as you have never imagined. For others, this is the next step in a journey you have been expecting all your lives.**

**At Iris Academy, we teach spelling using the pentachromatic system:**

**Red magic is forceful, but not necessarily violent.**

**Blue is the color of transformation and change.**

**Green is the color of life, and the world of plants and animals**

**White magic affects the mind and spirit**

**and Black magic is contained within physical objects**

**Your palette should contain a few dabs of every magic color, but a beautiful painting doesn't need every shade. It's style that matters. You all have different strengths, different talents. Here at Iris Academy, we embrace that diversity and tailor your education to your needs. Choose your schedule to focus your personal talents..."**

_'Wow, choose our own schedule...pretty sweet.'_ Viola zoned out imagining what kind of magic SHE would end up taking a liking to, or if she'd even be any good at any of them. It's not like she had family to base her magical abilities on.

"**You have been divided into Halls to help you make friends with classmates who share similar interests. For the girls we have the adventurous Horses, the charming Butterflies, and the mysterious snakes..."**

"Heh...more like weirdo Snakes" Viola heard Serena whisper to her and Rita.

"How are they so weird?" Viola inquired.

"Well look at them! They're not normal. Most of them look like goths or vampires, and keep to themselves. Makes you wonder what kind of dark secrets they're all hiding..."

"Shhhhhhh" Rita pointed to a dark haired Professor who was glaring at them.

The girls ceased their conversation.

_'Dark secrets...am I supposed to be a Snake? Could they have made some kind of mistake placing me in Horse Hall?_' Viola pondered worriedly on this thought for the remainder of the speech.

"**..Open up your diaries and begin penciling in your schedule. **Once again, welcome to Iris Academy. Let's have a good year!"

The freshmen began dispersing from the gym with a lot of chatter. Some were excited to get started with classes. Others were grumbling about the dungeon exams. While Viola was also worried about these things, she couldn't stop thinking about her Hall placement. She began stepping down from the bleachers with her head down when she noticed the familiar shade of pink robes meet her at the bottom.

"Hello Miss Niemi!" Potsdam happily greeted her.

Viola tried to return the gesture. "Hello Professor."

Potsdam motioned Viola to follow her.'"Come along, dear."

_I knew it...I knew they made a mistake..._

Viola followed the Professor down what appeared to be the main hallway, one that spanned from the gym to a labyrinth of other tiny hallways containing classrooms. Cobblestone was a common theme throughout the hallway, each intersection marked and highlighted by portraits of various alumni from different halls. Further she and Potsdam went, the older the murals were, showing generations of the best and brightest from Iris Academy, donning the symbols of their respective Halls...

Swirled and awed by the stature of the portraits, Viola didn't even realize she'd progress so far down the hall. A final door stood in front of her. "Potsdam" was etched on the door's pane. Viola took a deep breath and slowly stepped in after the professor. After she entered, Potsdam sat down behind her desk.

"Close the door behind you dear, and take a seat."

Viola did as she was told, and sat in a simple wooden chair in front of the professor's desk.

The office smelled old. Not quite musty, but definitely more stale than the air from the hallway. Viola felt the smell reminiscent of a worn book, one whose pages have been perused through for many years. The room itself was elegantly decorated. Gold wallpaper covered the walls, with the ceiling surrounded by glass. A stunning warm glow from the afternoon sky brought an amber tone to the entire office. Potsdam's desk in the center was beautifully hand carved solid oak, depicting mythical creatures, some Viola had never seen before. Potsdam's chair was a perfect match to the desk, it's cushions were royal red with gold trim. To complete the room, a stone fireplace was present behind Potsdam, with some personal knick knacks and books stashed on the mantle.

"Butterscotch?" Potsdam offered Viola. A glass bowl off to the side of her desk displayed various candies, giving off a golden glow as the light shone upon them. Potsdam's insistence gave Viola a bit of hesitance proceeding with their conversation.

"Um...no thank you." Viola replied.

Potsdam continued to smile intently at Viola as she leaned back in her chair. A light creak filled the silence of the tiny office. Viola looked down at her hands in anticipation.

"I'm glad to see you again, dear Viola. I had a feeling that you would not let down on the promise we made."

"Yes, well... it was a promise...a pretty big one."

"Indeed, child."

Slight tension came about as silence filled the air once again.

"Was there something troubling you during the speech, dear? I noticed about halfway through you seemed to have stopped paying attention."

Viola kept her head down and started fidgeting with her robes.

Potsdam continued to present a natural smile. "You can tell me anything Viola. There is nothing to hide, and I will not judge you. Please, tell me what's bothering you."

Viola looked up at the professor. "Well, ma'am, I thought you had brought me to your office because you had made a mistake."

Potsdam's grin shifted as she looked at Viola with an inquisitive look. "A mistake?"

Viola continued. "Yes ma'am. Not about me being here, but...about my Hall."

"Is something wrong with your Hall-mates?"

"Oh no ma'am, they're wonderful! Two sophomore students have been nothing but hospitable to me, and my roommates seem nice enough...but..."

Viola paused.

"Am I really a match for Horse Hall?"

Potsdam immediately replied, "Certainly! There's no doubt in any of the minds of myself or the staff of the placements we have delegated to each of our students. You are a Horse."

"But...Serena said that Snake Hall was where girls with dark secrets resided..."

Viola paused and lowered her voice with a melancholy tone. "I'm pretty sure I qualify to be under that category."

Potsdam's smile faded a bit.

"Viola, when you first blossomed, we were sure something had gone wrong. We had a greatest feeling that you would end up a Snake for sure."

Potsdam stood up from her chair and moved to lean against the front of her desk to be closer to Viola.

"But...I also felt other vibes from you. That's why I had to go see you for myself."

Potsdam resumed a gentle smile. "And when I saw you, I couldn't believe it. Yes, your power was great and had blossomed like a dark secret, but you...you looked delicate. Like a Butterfly. I could see that you definitely had charm and grace. Even if in that moment you weren't exhibiting it, it was there. Right now, I see it. I'm sure any boy in their three halls would agree." Potsdam winked at her. Viola blushed at the thought.

"So, there I was, not only contemplating how to give you the Choice, but also what Hall you would be placed in if you did agree. On one hand, your secret would definitely place you as a Snake, but you had potential to be a Butterfly, depending on the next few events. So, I beckoned you over. That conversation decided it all."

Viola finally gazed up at her professor. She was curious to know what she had said or done to make that final decision.

"Viola, if you had been any other girl I know, you would have given up. You would have let go of your magic with a snap of your fingers, because you would have been too frightened to continue. Yes, you were scared at first, but then I mentioned something: _justice_, I believe. At that moment, I no longer felt fear in you. I no longer felt darkness. I felt...strength and courage. You were ready to face your demons head on. To embark on an adventure that would hopefully lead you to redemption. And those are qualities...of our Horse Hall girls."

Viola felt tears well up behind her eyes. Viola never thought she was any of that, nor was she was ever known to be any of that. She was afraid of spiders, and things in the dark. She had taken up sports to give her some confidence, but she was mediocre at best. For sure, she definitely wasn't known to be "strong." Carrying her secret around like heavy baggage didn't help either. But here she was, hearing a woman she just met, call her strong, and courageous. They were touching compliments. She began to smile.

Potsdam's smile immediately widened as she saw Viola's mood brighten. "Of course, since you do exhibit the qualities of other Halls, it might be possible for you to get transferred, but that's a very rare thing, and happens with growth."

She paused to clear her throat.

"But enough of that. You are very special, Viola. We haven't had a wildseed, or even a student for that matter, with your kind of potential in years. We, and I especially, are excited to see what the future holds for you here at Iris."

The professor made eye contact with Viola

"Anything else bothering you dear?"

Viola sat in thought for a moment, and finally decided that she did have one more question.

"Um, about my roommates..."

"Oh? I thought you said there were no problems?"

"Well, not really. I know that we're supposed to be paired with people to help make friends... but my roommates seem to already know each other, and although they're nice to me, I kind of feel like an awkward third wheel. They're both from magical families, and being a wildseed, I don't feel like I can relate to some of their discussions."

Potsdam let out a chuckle and crossed her arms. "Of course dear. All intentional. If I paired you with other wildseeds they would probably be curious to how your powers came to be. It's a very common subject to be brought up by wildseeds. Pure bloods, on the other hand, don't quite care about things like that. They've known about magic forever, and would prefer to discuss other subjects. I'm sure you three will find some common ground eventually."

Viola never thought of it that way. Potsdam really was looking out for her.

Potsdam then motioned to the door. "Now get going, Miss Niemi. Hurry and determine your schedule before you miss the start of classes today."

Viola nodded and gracefully got up from the chair. With a bright attitude and a new outlook on her new life, she rushed out Professor Potsdam's office.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello again! Another chapter is up for your viewing pleasure ^-^ Thanks, as always, to Princedwi for his ongoing support and advice. Thanks again for all those reading. This chapter also has things in **BOLD** that are not my writing, but the wonderful work of Hanako Games, so I don't take credit for any of those words. I have a little more free time this weekend, so perhaps we'll see a Chapter 6 sooner than expected. Perhaps... ONWARD!_

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><p>CHAPTER FIVE – Troubles with Magic<p>

Viola decided to follow what Professor Potsdam had suggested in her speech. Her first week, she would try one magic color a day, and hopefully find a liking to one or more of them. Of course, right now they all sounded interesting. But until she actually was in the class, it was hard to tell what spells she would learn from each color.

She decided she would start with White first. White was usually associated with purity and goodness, at least it was with "normal" mortals, so she thought she would be safe with that color. Then blue, black, and green for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday respectively. On Friday, she would end the week with red. Red, the color of force. Potsdam said it didn't necessarily mean violence, but Viola was still wary of it. Hopefully the other color classes would help ease her into being able to try it out.

Viola rushes to her first class: White magic.

As she stepped into the room, Viola could hardly believe it was a "magical" class. At the front was a green chalkboard, and a large oak teacher's desk, similar to what Viola had seen in Potsdam's office, but not as elaborate. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with an assortment of books, some so worn the bindings were becoming unraveled. Student desks were presented in familiar rows. _If I didn't know better, I would think I was still in normal high school... _She decided on a seat towards the back of the room. After getting settled, she noticed Professor Potsdam walking in to the front of the room. _Awesome, she's my first teacher too!_

"**Good Morning Starshines"** Potsdam cheerfully announces.

"**Relax and get comfortable. It's very important when you're working with this kind of magic."**

Students who were still standing, took their seats. Some stretched, some slouched into their chairs. _This is going to be interesting._

"**To some people, white is the absence of color, a blank canvas. In the non-magical world, white is a complete spectrum, all colors combined into one. In some ways you could think of White Magic as either of these things. White Magic is the tool you use to access the spiritual realm. Ghosts. Dreams. Creatures from other planes. The thoughts of those around you. With White Magic you can experience and communicate with things normally hidden."**

_'Like those crazy psychics on TV?'_

Potsdam's enthusiasm seemed to fade a little. Viola could sense this part was serious.

"**There is one thing I need to warn you about. Some people have tried to use White Magic to control minds and spirits, instead of asking for their aid."**

She paused

"**Don't do it. You will regret it."**

The class remained completely silent.

Potsdam then continued with a smile.

"**Now, shall we go on with your first lesson?"**

Most of the lesson was spent learning how to relax and connect with their own minds. Nothing big yet, but it did help with Viola's stress level. She wondered what spell she would learn first from this spirit magic. It was rather interesting, but it was only her first magic lesson. She wondered how the rest of the week would turn out.

Tuesday was blue magic, the magic of transformation and change. Pretty straight forward. You could also learn to teleport objects, or yourself, from one place to another if you practiced enough._ 'Awesome subject'_ Viola thought. _'Too bad that Professor Grabiner teaches it. And he's got a hell of a memory too...Won't leave me alone about not paying attention during that assembly.'_

Black magic on Wednesday was taught by Professor Potsdam to Viola's relief. Black magic had nothing to do with "dark arts" as Potsdam had said before. It dealt in physical objects, and things that were already present. Unfortunately, it was explained that cursed items were also in fact made with Black magic, and thus the reputation has been tarnished. _Cursed... _Viola shuddered at the word. _Perhaps this class wasn't a good idea._ But, as beginners, it was mostly potion making and experiments. Viola found it pretty fun. _Just like Chemistry in High School._ And she was actually quite good at it. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and she had to find out from the professor.

After class Viola waited until all the students had departed. She approached the head of the class where Professor Potsdam was gathering her things. Potsdam looked up at her approaching student.

"Oh, Viola. I've been meaning to talk to you. How has your week been so far?"

"Great Professor. So far I've only studied three magic colors, but they've all been really interesting. This whole magic world seems really exciting."

Potsdam smiled at Viola, and Viola quickly gave one back before continuing.

"However, I had a question about today's lecture..."

"Is it about curses?" Potsdam asked before Viola could finish.

"...Yes ma'am." Viola quietly said, lowering her head a bit.

Potsdam stood up straight to give her student undivided attention. She sighed, and then spoke in seriousness.

"In Black magic class, you will learn how to _enchant_ items eventually. We don't teach about curses in Iris Academy. Avoiding them, yes, but how to perform them is strictly forbidden. Curses are learned on one's own time, or performed on accident, as your incident demonstrated. Very rarely does that occur, but..."

Potsdam sighed, trying to find the right words to explain what had happened to her pupil. Viola remained quiet in front of her professor.

"Okay, here is a good analogy. Fire is a very powerful tool. Controlled, it can do very good things: cook food, provide heat, help in the creation of objects, among other uses. But left uncontrolled, fire can cause chaos and destruction. This is also how magic works."

Potsdam stepped closer to Viola and gently grasped her hands. Viola couldn't help but remember their first meeting with this gesture. The professor seemed to really care about her. _But why? _Potsdam looked down at her student and spoke softly.

"Viola, this is what I needed to discuss with you, so I'm very glad you approached me. There is something I forgot to mention during our last meeting. I was so thrilled to see you, it had slipped my mind. But...this is very important, and I apologize for not bringing it up sooner."

Viola gulped. _What is it?_

Potsdam sighed again. _"_I have already told you how special you are. But I should have explained exactly how. You see, the dormant potential your magic has is unimaginable. Your powers rival even some of our newer professors..."

Potsdam paused and looked directly into Viola's eyes. Viola looked back nervously. _What?_

"So...unfortunately, your magic _is_ much like fire. And right now, it is at risk for being uncontrolled. This is not your fault. You are only a freshman."

Potsdam gave her a soft smile.

"I am sorry I didn't give you this warning sooner. I'm so very glad you brought this up before something happened."

Potsdam used one of her hands to pat Viola affectionately on the head.

"So, be careful dear. Study hard, and avoid being stressed. We professors can only protect you so much. I trust you on this, Viola."

As Potsdam let go of her, Viola couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach. A feeling of dread and fear swept over her. She still had potential to hurt people, and that reality had grown since now she really was using magic. She had thought the worst was behind her. As she exited the room, her thoughts went back to Cael, and then to the week to come. She knew she had a bad feeling about Friday, and this just made it worse. _Cael...what have I gotten myself into?_

Despite Viola's reservations, she refused to back down on her promise, and attended class on Thursday.

Thursday, Green Magic was exactly what it sounded like. In this class, you learned about flora, fauna, and life energy. According to the lecture, you would be able to detect nearby life, and even heal wounds. _A magical version of Biology._ Her nerves had calmed down a bit, and she began to focus positively again on her magic abilities. Viola decided Green magic would be something to look into, but so far she also found interest in the prior 3 subjects. She wasn't particularly more talented in one over the others, other than her ease into Black magic. More classes would need to be taken to come to a conclusion.

But the week wasn't over yet...

To Viola's dread, Friday morning came, and after Potsdam's revelation, she was even more nervous about trying Red Magic. She tried to talk herself into it. _'Remember, Viola, it's forceful...but not necessarily violent. And besides...you've tried all the other colors and they turned out OK...how bad can it be?'_ She walked into the classroom...and saw Professor Grabiner in the front of the class '_Yeah Viola...how frickin bad can it be?'_

She sat near the back of the class this time. Grabby probably wouldn't notice her too much back here. And she was most likely not going to really try today anyway. Her nerves were really getting to her, and from Potsdam's warning, and Grabby's speech, it seemed it probably wasn't such a good idea to try Red Magic in this condition. Unfortunately, Grabby was feeling in a "charitable" mood, he let everyone pair up to practice.

"Hey Viola. Wanna pair up?" Rita asked after tapping Viola on the shoulder.

"Uh...sure?" Viola was feeling even more nervous. '_Calm down...calm down'_

Viola told Rita to go first. Their objective was to concentrate on an upright book and lightly tip it over using the spell "Breeze." On top of the book was a feather, in case you were able to summon something softer. Rita sat in front of the of the book for about 30 minutes. Finally, Rita and Viola saw the feather twitch.

"Whooo!" Rita stood up and cheered. She turned to Viola.

"Alright, girl. It's YOUR turn. Let's see what you got."

"Um...OK..."

Viola sat in front of the book and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes. _'You got this Viola. It's just a breeze. How bad can it be? Just do what Rita did. Take your time. Good pep-talk...' _

Viola opened her eyes. Her eyes gazed at the book, mentally reciting the spell. Then...**SLAM**

The book fell over.

Viola looked at Rita in shock. _No breeze..._

"Whoa! What?" Rita picked the book up and made sure to stabilize it on the desk. She then tried to rock the desk back and forth to see if it was wobbly. It wasn't.

"There. I'm sure the book was just unstable. Try again."

Viola sighed. She thought she had just completed the assignment. She didn't care if it was just a "simple" spell. She still didn't trust herself, especially since she had no idea where that power came from.

She started getting nervous again. She took another deep breath, and gazed at the book. This time the desk shook and the book toppled over. Again, Viola felt no breeze, but she was sure she had just felt a burst of power coming from her body.

"Oh my gods. These people need to stop stomping around so much!" Rita exclaimed, getting flustered. She moved the desk to the original position and placed the book on top again.

"I'm sorry, Viola. You should at least try one more time. I'm sure you'll do it this time." Rita gave her a smile. Viola faked one back.

In reality, Viola was annoyed. _'I knocked it down twice already, I'm sure of it! But what exactly is going on?' _

Viola took another deep breath, but it didn't calm her down any. She closed her eyes and started mentally reciting the spell. It was a little hard to concentrate. Inside she was still a little nervous, but she was mostly frustrated. She didn't want to be doing this anymore, especially after she had completed the task twice. She finished the spell, and quickly opened her eyes...

**CRASH**

The desk violently fell over and into the side of a nearby bookcase, which in turn fell over and onto another bookcase. Dust, woodchips, and loose paper began to fly everywhere, creating a sea of chaos.

This domino effect continued down the row of bookcases on the wall until the last one in the row fell over.

…

The class became eerily silent. Viola was still staring in shock at where the desk had been. She only snapped out of it when someone had stepped into her view. She slowly looked up to meet the angry glare of Grabiner. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Eh..heh..heh...oops?" She nervously tried to laugh it off, but her face wouldn't let her be anything but seriously terrified at the glare of her professor. She bit her lip and slowly lowered her head. _'Ah crap...'_

"Miss Niemi...FIFTEEN demerits, and DETENTION!" His scream felt more like a ferocious roar. Viola was paralyzed. He stomped away, grumbling.

"Class dismissed...Get out of my sight everyone."

In a flash, Viola gathered her stuff and got the hell out of there. She was scared and humiliated by what she had done. With tears streaming down her face, she swore to never take another Red magic class again.


	6. Chapter 6

_HOLY POOP! After a long absence I AM BACK! YAY! I must confess this chapter has been completed for a long while; however my editor and I have been so busy with the many crazy events in our lives, we had to push this project to the side. Another confession: I love this chapter ^.^ It just gives me happiness, especially the very end. So, I really hope you guys like this chapter too, and I also hope it was worth the long wait. Hoping to release a few chapters while on Winter Break, so expect a few updates before MAYBE another long absence (hoping to complete this story before then!). Thanks again to my editor, Princedwi, and BIG thank you to all of you readers out there who are still into this story despite the long break. You guys rock! Ok...on with the show!_

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><p>CHAPTER SIX – Lesson in Detention<p>

"Oh my gods...I'm so sorry Viola. I shouldn't have doubted you!" Rita pleaded on her own bed facing Viola. Viola, in turn, was laying down on her bed, crying softly into her pillow. _'Damn__you__Rita...'_

Just then, Serena burst through the door.

"Hey guys did...you...hear..?" Serena stopped as she saw the scene before her.

"Whoa...Was Viola the one who caused Grabby to flip his lid?"

Rita nodded to Serena. "But, it was MY fault...I didn't think Viola was really knocking the book over. It was the strangest thing! We were supposed to be learning 'Breeze' today, and when it was her turn there WAS no breeze. I had no idea..."

Serena patted Rita on the back as she sat next to Viola. She laid her hand on Viola's head.

"It's OK, sweety. Grabby is just a grumpy old man... Apparently everyone is talking about how AWESOME what you did was. Quite incredible for a first week Freshman. I had no idea you were studying Red magic so extensively this week."

Viola stopped crying enough to speak "But I...*sniff*...I hadn't taken a class in Red before today."

Serena looked at her in shock "What? Really!"

Rita nodded at Serena. "It's true... Today was the first day any of us saw Viola in Red Magic."

"Well that just makes it even MORE amazing!" Serena reassured Viola by rubbing her back.

"Come now Viola. Let's get you out of here. I'm sure we can get you something sweet to cheer you up in the cafeteria."

Serena pulled Viola up and out of bed. Together with Rita, they headed down to the cafeteria. On the way there, Rita and Serena guarded Viola from the questions of the various students who had heard rumors of her feat, but Viola still felt uneasy from everyone else who were just staring. Even in the warm Friday sun, Viola couldn't help but feel cold and dreary. It was as if she was in her own personal dungeon, serving time for the awful sin she had committed.

They finally arrived at the large wooden doors of the cafeteria. Like most of the school, the cafeteria also sported a cobblestone floor, and black stone walls. Upon the walls, were gold, ornate candlabras, permanently lit by magic, giving the cafeteria a warm glow as shadows of the flames danced upon the wall. The assorted foods were divided much like a mall food court, with the daily lunch special being distributed at the middle of one wall surrounded by a dessert distributor and pizza distributor, on the right and left of it, respectively. Majority of the space inside was occupied by various wooden tables with matching wooden chairs, enough to seat the entire populace of Iris Academy, including the hired help.

Viola and Serena inconspicuously chose a corner table while Rita went to grab vanilla puddings for all three of them. Viola kept her head down on the table until Rita arrived with small bowls, layered with vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and topped with a vanilla cookie. Viola, still a little stuffy, could barely taste the delicious looking snack, but was grateful to her roomies all the same.

"Thanks guys" she gave them a little smile as she scooped a little more pudding onto her spoon.

"Viola, I really am sorry." Rita apologized again. "I'm going to talk to Grabiner about this."

"You really don't have to do that, Rita." Viola assured her. "It's fine..."

The three of them finished their puddings, and promptly left the cafeteria when it started getting crowded.

As they headed back to their room, the three of them froze as they noticed who was standing in front of their door.

"Miss Niemi" grumbled Professor Grabiner.

"Uh...see you inside..." Serena nodded at Viola as she dragged Rita into the room and shut the door.

Viola stood there, fidgeting with her robes, head down. She dared not look at him in the eye.

"Yes sir?"

Grabiner sighed.

"Miss Niemi, I am not used to saying this, but I believe that I owe you an apology for earlier. I believe I was too harsh on you for your...accident. I had assumed you were trying to show off, but Professor Potsdam has assured me that given your...history...this is definitely not the case."

Viola looked up at him in disbelief. "Sir?"

"So, I am giving you back those merits I had previously taken away from you."

Viola smiled brightly at this statement. _Victory!_

"HOWEVER... I still believe that what you did was reckless, and you _should_ be punished for it. Therefore, you will still be attending detention tomorrow. Understood?"

Viola's smile faded. "Yes sir."

"Very well." Grabiner sharply turned around. As he did so, Viola noticed Virginia standing behind him. Virginia bowed her head as he walked by.

"Good evening sir."

Grabiner grumbled something back at her and continued walking. Virginia stood straight again and looked at Viola.

"Well, you sure caused an uproar today." Virginia gave Viola a grin.

"Heh...yeah." Viola shared the grin back.

"Here" Virginia handed Viola a lollipop. "It's not much, but I thought it would cheer you up. But now that your demerits are taken away, I'm sure you don't need to be cheered up too much"

"Thanks Virginia. That's very thoughtful of you."

"Yeah well...I got plenty of these things lying around, so I thought why the heck not."

Viola's took the lollipop and examined it. It was a large blue and white swirl. Viola's mouth watered as she imagined it being a blueberry flavored delight.

"Well...I guess I won't be seeing you at the mall tomorrow." Virginia continued, interrupting Viola's visions of lollipop bliss.

"There's a mall?" Viola hadn't heard about this before.

"Oh yeah. Every weekend the school has vans that go to and from the mall. And we get allowances. $5 a week."

"Wow! That's pretty sweet."

"Yeah, but since you have detention, I guess I'll have to show you around next time" Virginia winked at her. "Be sure to say hi to my brother for me."

"Wait... What?" Viola became confused.

"Oh. Haha. That loser, Donald, is always in detention. So since that's where you'll be tomorrow you might as well pass the message." Virginia turned and waved as she headed back to her room.

Viola smiled. _'At__least__I__won't__be__alone__tomorrow.'_

She opened the door to her room, and told her roommates what happened.

Next day, Viola said her goodbyes to her roommates that we're going to enjoy the day at the mall. After they left, she departed towards the study room, an small office near the classrooms, which served as the designated detention room.

She opened the door to reveal Donald and Professor Grabiner already having a chat.

"I see you wasted no time again this year, Mr. Danson. I was hoping you would have matured over the summer break. But it seems my expectations for you were too high." Donald gave him a sneaky grin, as Grabiner sighed and placed his palm over his face and sighed.

Grabiner then looked up from his hand and saw Viola. Viola did a nervous wave.

"Well...since both of you have now presented yourselves, let me show you how you'll be spending your day."

Professor Grabiner motioned them out the door. Viola held the door open for the Professor. Donald grabbed the door from Viola and motioned her to go through first. She followed closely behind the Professor after hearing Donald shut the door and his footsteps trailing her. To her surprise, they followed the Professor to the Freshman Red Magic classroom. He opened the door to reveal the room was exactly as Viola had left it. The place looked like a war zone, an epic battle between bookshelves and their book captives. It was impossible to tell who would've won, there were massive casualties of both parties.

"Today you will be reorganizing this classroom. I'm locking the door behind me, so even if you finish early you better find something else to occupy your time until I get back." He gave them a grin. "Just a precaution to keep you two out of my hair. Now get to work." He slammed the door behind him and Viola heard the clink of the lock.

She heard Donald chuckling behind her.

"So YOU'RE the freshman that did this huh?"

She turned to face him, cheeks red from the embarrassment.

"Yep..."

Donald gave her a smile.

"So what happened?"

Viola retold her story about the book falling, and Rita not believing her twice. She explained this happened on the third try, when she was annoyed.

Donald looked at her, stunned, gaping mouth and all.

"You mean, your VERY FIRST Red Magic lesson, you already cast "Push Object" with this kind of power?"

Viola looked down in embarrassment.

"Um...what's 'Push Object'?" she inquired.

Donald's eyes became wider. "You mean, you were trying to cast 'Breeze' that whole time?"

Viola looked up a little, and nodded, turning her gaze downward again.

Donald stepped forward towards her. He gently touched her on the shoulder.

"I have to see this for myself" Viola looked up to see Donald's cheeky grin only a foot away from her. She looked down, and blushed profusely. Donald laughed.

"Oh come on. It's only me, and it's not like you could ruin this room even more."

_'I wish he would stop doing that damn grin'_

Donald picked up one of the desks and placed a book on top of it. He couldn't find a feather, so he placed a piece of chalk on top of the book.

"Here. Let me see what you're doing."

Viola reluctantly stood in front of the desk. She began to close her eyes when Donald interrupted her.

"Wait. Do you mind if I cast a spell on you while you're doing that?"

Viola looked at him, unsure.

"It won't hurt I promise" he reassured her.

"...OK." Viola nodded, and redirected her attention to the desk.

She took a deep breath. Not only was she already nervous about screwing up, but now Donald is watching and casting a spell on her. _'Crap'_

She closed her eyes and started mentally reciting the spell. She opened her eyes when she finished and saw the desk shake, and the book violently topple off the desk. The chalk piece broke as it hit the ground.

"Uh huh...I see what the problem is..." Donald nodded his head knowingly.

"Did you really cast a spell on me?" Viola asked before Donald could finish.

"Yeah. It's a White Magic spell called 'Empathy.' It lets me know your emotional state. Which is how I know what's wrong."

"There's a spell like that?...But isn't that bad?"

"Yeah, which is why I asked beforehand. I would never use it without someone's permission...Unless I thought they were up to no good."

Viola nodded. "OK...so...what's wrong with me?"

Donald gave her a smirk. "You're too preoccupied."

He stepped forward towards her and continued.

"The spell Breeze is exactly what it says it is. It's a light wind. It's calm, and delicate. Which means that's how you should be mentally when you cast the spell."

Viola watched as Donald moved into position behind her. "I'm going to touch you OK? Don't be alarmed."

_'Whoa what?'_

Before Viola could say anything, Donald took a hold of her shoulders. She suddenly felt warm, but it wasn't from embarrassment. It was a calming warmth, much like she felt with Professor Potsdam the day she was given the choice.

"I just cast a warm spell. Just give into it, and relax."

Viola closed her eyes and started breathing slowly and deeply. Donald was close enough that her deep inhales caught whiffs of his scent. She began to blush as his scent filled her nostrils like the air after rainfall, with a hint of sweetness, which Viola felt was quite fitting for his personality. She smiled at this thought.

Donald stepped away from her. "I think you're ready to try again."

Viola, startled from her little daydream, quickly turned her head and nodded to him. He repositioned the desk, the book, and the chalk to their former positions.

Viola closed her eyes and mentally chanted the spell once again. When she opened them, she no longer felt a jolt of power being released. This time...it was light. A slight wind had been created in front of her. The book rocked back and forth a bit and finally toppled onto the desk. The chalk which was previously on top slowly rolled off the desk and broke once again on the floor. Viola turned to Donald. They shared a smile.

"I did it!" She announced. "I DID IT!" she jumped up and down for joy as Donald approached her to congratulate her. She instinctively threw his arms around him.

"Thank you so much" she softly told him. Donald wasn't expecting this kind of reaction and started blushing. He patted her on the back in return. Viola let go.

"Well...you know...I would hate to be the one teaching you Spark" Donald winked at her.

Viola couldn't stop grinning.

There was a brief silence as the two of them continued to smile at each other. Then, they both began blushing, as Viola panicked when she realized her eyes had been lingering on her handsome Wolf Hall companion.

"Uh..." Donald coughed. "...OK. Time to get to work." Donald finally blurted scratching the back of his head. "Here, you organize the desks, and I'll work on the bookcases."

Viola did as she was told. She organized the desks back into their original rows. Donald used combinations of push object and teleport other to move the heavy book shelves back into place, as well as their books. He was sure the books weren't put in their original order, but he had no idea what that was, and Grabby never told them to do that anyway. In no time at all, the room looked back to normal.

"Ta da" Donald triumphantly said. "Good as new."

Viola was pleased at their teamwork, although she felt Donald really did the hardest part. She sat down in one of the chairs. "Phew! So what now?"

"Hmm...I don't know." Donald shrugged.

They both agreed on Donald showing off some magic, just for Viola to get a taste of what she would be learning this year. He teleported himself across the room, He made cloaked himself and scared Viola from behind. They both shared a good laugh after that. Then, he sealed two pieces of chalk together to make a longer piece of chalk. Just simple things, but Viola was delighted to see them anyway. Eventually, the knob on the door made a noise, and Grabiner entered. He looked around and inspected the room.

"Not bad Mr. Danson, Miss Niemi." He nodded to the both of them, and grinned.

"Now get out before you cause more trouble."

Viola and Donald obliged him and walked out of the room. "I'll walk you to your Hall." Donald offered. Viola hesitantly nodded in acceptance, not expecting his offer.

The walk towards Horse Hall was mostly silent. Viola didn't know what to talk about, and she noticed Donald seemed preoccupied with something. Donald noticed Viola staring at him and shifted his eyes towards her with his signature grin. Viola quickly turned and blushed profusely. After a short venture, they finally stepped inside the heavy wooden doors of Horse Hall, then to room 103.

Viola stood in front of the door. "Hey...um...thanks again, Donald. I had fun today." she gave him a smile.

"Haha, you sound like we just went on a date." Viola felt her face burn at this statement. Donald just laughed. "But yeah, I had a good time too. I'm really glad you lightened up. You're gonna need to be calm going into next week."

Viola looked at him, confused. "What happens next week?"

He winked at her. "You'll see." He poked her cheek. "See you around... Viola." He pretended to be bowing a stringed instrument as he walked away from her. Viola opened the door to her room and couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, why are you blushing?" Serena asked her.


	7. Chapter 7

_Wee! Finally a chapter is up in a relatively short amount of time. I apologize to Hanako Games for how similar the beginning of this chapter is. I tried to be as original as I could, but I feel like I failed. So I repeat: I DO NOT OWN HANAKO GAMES OR MAGICAL DIARY. Hope that helps ^.^ Alrighty then! So the quote near the end of this chapter (you'll know it when you see it) is from Therese of Lisieux (Saint Therese). Special thanks again to PrinceDWI who says he REALLY enjoyed this chapter, so I hope you all do too. Onward!_

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><p>CHAPTER SEVEN - Initiation<p>

Monday morning the freshman of Iris Academy were once again rallied into the gymnasium. Viola wondered if this was what Donald had told her to anticipate. All of her colleagues sat around chattering, until they saw who marched in next. Seniors. Most with the smuggest looks on their faces. Something was about to happen. Then, one of the seniors approached the stage and took their place at the podium.

"Hello everyone. My name is Jessica Smith. I am your incoming senior class president."

Jessica paused as she gazed at the front rows of freshman, and gave them all a mischievous grin.

"But for the next week, you newcomers will be addressing me as Lady Jessica. Welcome to Freshman Initiation!"

A loud applause came from the seniors in the room. Most of Viola's fellow freshman started shifting in their seats nervously.

_I thought I escaped this. I didn't come here to be a lowly freshman all over again._

Viola turned to Serena and Rita. Serena looked back at her and shrugged. Rita returned an uneasy look.

"Before the week commences," Jessica continued, "I want you all to know there are SOME safety rules."

Viola began to become uneasy. _Was __it __really __that __serious?_

"Nothing that happens this week should hurt you physically. If you are told to do something you know or suspect to be dangerous or wrong, please report it to a teacher or staff member."

Jessica straightened herself out. Then took the mic off the podium stand.

"Now, freshman. Would you please line up to come on stage? State your name, where you're from, and then we'll be giving you your Initiation Handbook."

Viola stood up with her fellow freshman, and created a line to the stage row by row. Many of these freshman Viola had yet to run into. It was clear some of the freshman were prepared for this by the amount of confidence they had exuded in their introductions. Viola asked Rita and Serena if they had known, but both of them were never told of such things. Rita swore she would kill her brother for not warning her.

Viola watched as Serena and Rita proceeded to the stage on their respective turns. Then, it was her turn to take the stage.

Viola stared into the crowd of seniors. They all looked predators, ready to pounce on their prey. She swallowed nervously, and finally spoke into the mic. "Viola Niemi. Park, Pennsylvania."

Viola quickly turned to give the mic to the next person. As she approached the stairs to descend the stage, Jessica handed her a simple paper booklet. Viola started to peruse it as she was directed away from the seats and behind the seniors to an empty area of the gym where another senior was lining them up. Viola felt like they were being corralled like cattle.

In the booklet, Viola discovered that the week definitely wasn't going to be easy. A list of rules were presented, as well as the names of all the seniors and a corresponding black and white picture. In bold print, it was demanded that they memorized all the names and call them "Sir" or "Lady" before addressing their name. _Fun__fun__fun..._ Also found near the back of the booklet was a silly poem that was also to be memorized, and apparently they were also to recite it if commanded by a senior.

'_Never __show __your __back __to __a __senior.'..'Never __be __taller __than __a __senior'..._

Viola knew this week would not end well.

After all the freshman had been on the stage and corralled to the open area, Jessica took the stage again.

"As well as being given the honor of having the attention of the entire senior class, each one of you will be picked by a senior to be their personal freshman. That senior will be your guardian, your master, and your only line of defense from the rest of us. Now, stand and wait as we choose."

Jessica jumped off the stage and joined the rest of the seniors who were now standing and walking towards the "corral" area. As they entered, the barking of orders commenced.

"You're taller than me FRESHIE. GET DOWN." "How DARE you turn your back FRESHMAN!"

Viola looked nervously at Serena and Rita. She found that the other two were just as nervous. Rita was playing with her robes. Serena was biting her nails.

"Hey...we should probably sit down in case one of the petite senior girls shows up" Viola whispered to them.

All three of them sat down and continued to watch as more and more freshman were picked and berated by seniors. Some freshman were even driven to tears. Others got lucky and were nicely escorted out of the gym by their chosen seniors. Viola hoped she would be as lucky.

A group of seniors approached the area where the three girls were sitting. Afraid to show their backs to any of them, the girls sat back to back in a small circle. The tension in their little group went to extreme levels. Viola refused to look at any of the seniors eyeing them, especially at this close range. She continued to look down at the floor, holding her breath. Suddenly, a pair of shoes stopped right in front of her. "Viola Niemi..."

Viola slowly looked up. The pair of shoes led up to a pair of Wolf Hall robes. She finally came eye to eye with the most dazzling blue she had ever seen. Viola was paralyzed. _He's...so__hot!_ Viola blushed as the male student smiled. "You'll be my freshman."

Viola didn't dare move. _So __what __happens __now?_ Viola continued to stare up at "her senior." The senior in turn chuckled at her.

"No need to be scared. I don't bite." He extended his hand to her. "Let me help you up and let's get out of here."

Viola relaxed a little, and reluctantly reached out. Being more embarrassed at this point, she decided it was best at this point to grab his wrist instead of his hand. She used her other hand to push her off the ground as he helped her up.

As she stood, Viola noticed the boy was at least half a foot taller than her. _At __least __I __won't __have __to __worry __about __being __taller __than __him_. _One __less __thing __to __worry __about __this __week..._

"Come with me." The senior held onto Viola and began to lead her out of the gym, and into the school courtyard.

Outside, Viola saw other senior/freshman couples mingling about. Viola welcomed the outdoors after such an overwhelming experience inside the gym. The sun was shining that day, and the warm breeze that accompanied the perfect weather created a calming atmosphere. As her senior let her go, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in.

She began to slowly open her eyes, but quickly snapped them open when she saw her senior staring down at her. His eyes seem to pierce through her soul, and it made Viola feel vulnerable. She bit her lip and she began to feel a flush come across her face.

"So you're Viola Niemi."

Viola gave a little nod.

The senior grinned.

"You're prettier than I imagined. Who knew such a cute girl was the cause of all that ruckus on Friday?"

Viola looked down as her face began to feel hot from blushing. _I __guess __everyone __knows...and __oh __my __gosh,__did __he __just __give __me __a __compliment?_

"Quiet type huh? Well, Viola, to formally introduce myself – my name is Ezra. Since I'm your senior you don't have to call me 'Sir.' I want you to be as comfortable as possible with me."

Viola gained her composure again and looked up at Ezra. He was smiling down at her, and Viola felt that he was being sincere. Viola took a moment to examine him quickly. His short black hair was neatly styled in spikes, his crystal blue eyes dazzling in the sunlight. Even his bronze skin seemed to have a luminosity. _Gah! __I'm __so __lucky!__He's __sweet __AND __he's __cute._Viola couldn't help but smile at this thought.

Ezra softly chuckled and patted her on the head.

"You should probably go figure out your schedule for this week now. Try not to cause a ruckus this time huh?" He gave her a wink.

"...No problem" Viola quietly replied trying not to be giddy.

Ezra turned around and started walking, but stopped abruptly.

"Oh, and before I forget." He turned his head to direct his voice to Viola. "Meet me in Wolf Hall before dinner. This is your first command from me." And with that, he continued walking.

* * *

><p><em>Simple <em>_enough. __I __wonder __what __he __needs __me __for. _Viola hoped it wasn't a senior prank. She pondered on this thought for a moment, but then remembered she probably was better off figuring out her week instead. She decided this was probably the best week to work on White magic. She could use the time in class to calm herself from the stresses of Initiation week.

Viola headed toward Wolf Hall after class with a bounce in her step. She had successfully learned "Spirit Sight" without incidence, and now she was about to see her dreamy Senior. She arrived, and decided to sit at the stone steps in front of the hall. The day remained as gorgeous as it was after the morning assembly, and Viola sighed as the gazed upon the clouds.

Suddenly, she heard the doors behind her open. She turned to find Donald and Luke exiting the hall, chatting loudly. Donald looked down at the seated Viola.

"Whoa! Long time no see, stranger." Donald gave her a smile. Luke nudged Donald with a sly look, and Donald returned Luke's nudge with a soft punch to Luke's side. Viola giggled at the two's shenanigans.

"Anyway, what are you doing here? Something for initiation no doubt."

"Oh...yeah. Just waiting on Ezra." Viola replied, nonchalantly.

Donald's and Luke's smiles faded. Luke spoke up. "Ezra? Ezra Jones?"

"Yep"

"...Is he your senior?"

"Um...yes?" Viola looked at them, puzzled. Just then, the door to Wolf Hall opened again. Ezra confidently stepped through the doors, hands behind his back. He smiled as he gazed past Donald and Luke, and down at the waiting Viola.

"My my. I'm so lucky to have such an obedient freshman." He pushed Donald and Luke to the side. Donald frowned at the sight of Ezra approaching Viola. Luke folded his arms in disgust.

Ezra reached the bottom of the stairs, hiding his hands from Viola all the while. He finally presented one empty palm towards Viola. Viola accepted his hand with her own, and stood up with Ezra's help. Suddenly, Ezra gracefully dropped to one knee. Viola almost fell back in surprise, and little did she know Donald and Luke were standing at the side of the steps, mouths gaping. Finally, Ezra revealed what he had been hiding behind his back. A simple bouquet of purple violets. He presented them upwards towards the now blushing pink Viola.

"The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it's scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness."

Viola had no idea where that quote came from, but she timidly received the bouquet from her kneeling gentleman. Ezra stood with a satisfied smile and offered his arm.

"Shall we go for dinner, my lady?"

Viola's head was spinning from the recent events. Unsure what to do next, she slowly turned her head back towards Donald and Luke. Donald's face was blank, and a concerned looking Luke was trying to lead Donald back inside the Hall. Viola raised her hand a little as a small goodbye gesture to the two boys. She turned back to Ezra and lightly took hold of his arm. Ezra strolled confidently ahead, leading the two of them towards the cafeteria. _I__wonder__what__all__of__that__was__about..._

In the cafeteria, Ezra led Viola to a two person table on the side of the room. He pulled out a seat for Viola, and Viola dutifully sat on the chair as Ezra pushed it in for her. He disappeared into one of the lines for food, and Viola softly placed the bouquet on the table in front of her. She wondered when she would wake up from this dream. _Please__don't__let__this__be__a__joke._ She gently touched the petals of the the violets in front of her. They were small and delicate, beautiful in their own precious way. This would be the first time a boy had ever given her any type of bouquet. She hoped it really was a sincere gesture.

Ezra returned promptly with a tray of two slices of cheese pizza, two small salads with what looked like Italian dressing, and two small bowls of red jello. He neatly placed one of each in front of Viola, and finally took the seat opposite of her with the remaining food items.

"Thank you.." Viola softly said. Ezra gave her a smile and began taking bites of his pizza. Viola continued to feel fluttering in her stomach from earlier, and decided to just nibble on her salad. When she looked up from her food, she found Ezra's crystal eyes gazing at her.

"You look gorgeous" He finally said.

Viola looked down at her food, flushed. _What __am __I __supposed __to __do?_

Ezra chuckled softly at his date across the table. "You're mannerisms are so cute. I bet you have a non-magical boy at home waiting for you, huh?"

Viola looked up and lightly shook her head. "No..."

Ezra beamed at her response. "Oh really?"

Viola looked down at her food once again. She felt awkward. This was all so sudden. It was only her second week at school, and she was already getting this kind of attention from a boy. It was all going too fast. It had been 3 years since she had experienced any moment similar to this. She found it was hard to breathe.

Nothing was said the remainder of the meal. Viola took bites of each item, just to show a courtesy to Ezra for bringing her dinner. She found Ezra's tray to be empty of all items. Ezra leaned back in contentment after his meal. He smiled at Viola.

"As your senior, I expect you to have dinner with me every day this week."

Viola nodded in obedience.

Suddenly, Ezra arose from his seat. He moved towards Viola, grabbed her hands, and again knelt in front of her. Viola looked back at Ezra, unsure what to say or what to expect.

"And there's one more thing..." Ezra leaned towards Viola. Viola started leaning back in fear and embarrassment. _What__the__hell__is__he__doing?__Oh__my__gods,__please__don't__try__to__kiss__me!_

Ezra grinned at her, and leaned towards her ear. Viola closed her eyes tightly in terrifying anticipation as she felt his warm breath on her ear. Then he finally whispered...


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thank you so much for your patience and support! I know I've been horrible at updating this story, but good news is the semester is almost over! *yay* So I'm hoping this story will be concluded by the end of the summer, which will be about 1 year after this story nudged at my brain. I was never much of a writer growing up, so this process is all new to me. So, again, I thank you all for your support and patience. Another thank you to Hanako for creating such an awesome game that inspired this story. So, without further ado, I present the next 2 chapters in Viola's story. Hope you enjoy :)**_

Chapter 8 – All about Mary

Viola sat at her desk in the corner of her empty dorm room. The only sound to be heard was the rhythmic clicking from the pen she was holding. All the while, Viola kept staring at the blank sheet of paper in front of her.

Ezra's instructions were simple. Write an original love letter. Something sweet and genuine, and turn it into him by Thursday at dinner. The only strange thing was he didn't want it signed. Viola found this peculiar, but it wasn't anything dangerous, so the most she could do is obey his instructions and get it over with. But where to start?

Viola leaned back in her chair and sighed. She looked over at the picture of Cael and touched the glass over his face delicately. She faintly smiled. She was so unsure how to feel about Ezra. _Was this just a senior week trick? Did he really mean everything he said? _If Cael were still around, he would know instantly. He had a knack for things like this. Maybe because he sort of had the experience. But he was always genuine to her...and she really missed that comfort. She grabbed the picture frame off the desk and held it tightly to her chest. Three years...and her heart still ached from the hole that was created when he left.

Abruptly, the door opened, and Serena and Rita entered the room.

"Hey...you OK?" Serena inquired, noticing the melancholy expression on Viola's face.

"Huh?" Viola looked up at her roommate and hastily placed the picture back on the desk. "Yeah. Yeah everything's fine."

"Uh huh..." Serena said, unsure of what just happened. She began to approach Viola's desk, and picked up the picture. They had been there for more than a week and Viola had never seen Serena examine that picture as much as she did. Viola cringed a bit, fearing that Serena would ask a serious question.

"You know Viola. You've never explained who this is. He's cute."

Viola panicked. _What should I say?_

"Well uh... He's... a friend from my non-magical life."

"Just a friend?" Serena raised an eyebrow.

"...Well...I thought there was something...but..." _Ah jeez...how should I say this? _"...I wasn't able to find out what."

Serena frowned as she passed the picture back to Viola. "Aw, Viola. That's so sad. It's always so heartbreaking to hear what wildseeds have to sacrifice in order to pursue their magical talents." She looked at Rita, and Rita nodded in agreement.

Viola breathed an internal sigh of relief. _Just dodged a bullet there. _She placed the photo back on the desk.

Serena then began to smile. "Well, it seems like Miss Viola won't have to worry about her love life much longer."

"Huh?" Viola's attention jumped to Serena's statement.

"Don't toy with us." Rita chimed in. "We saw who picked you...and who you were with at dinner... Ezra. Jones."

Serena and Rita squealed at the sound of his name.

Viola blushed. "Yeah...but what does that have to do with my love life?"

"Girl, are you blind?" Serena sat on Viola's bed to speak eye level with her. "Those flowers. Come on!And then...he leaned in to whisper sweet nothings. _sigh_ Everyone saw it!"

"So? It's Initiation week. How are you so sure he's not just toying with me?" Viola rebutted.

"You could see it in his eyes and body language. He was **totally** into you. He picked you as his freshman to hook up with you. Don't you see?"

"It's terribly romantic." Rita swooned.

Viola's confusion of the situation wasn't remedied by her roommates comments. It just raised more questions.

"If he really likes me so much, then why does he want me to write him a love letter WITHOUT signing it?"

"Whoa...What?"

The voice came from the hall. Viola's head turned towards the still open door. Standing there was Ellen, Virginia's roommate.

Ellen spoke up again. "What did he ask you to do?"

Viola was surprised at this reaction from Ellen. She had to find out more. "Write him a love letter..."

Ellen's eyes widened. Then, she turned stone face serious as she crossed her arms. "Viola. I think you should come by later when Virginia gets back." Before Viola could respond, or even inquire why, Ellen walked away.

The roommates all looked at each other, uncertain at what had just happened.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Viola headed down the hall towards the room of her sophomore friends. When she arrived at the door, she timidly knocked. She had no clue what to expect.<p>

"Come on in."

Viola opened the door to find both of the girls sitting on one of the beds. They directed her to sit on the bed opposite of them. Viola closed the door behind her and did as she was told. Silence permeated the room. It felt eerie.

"Um.." Viola broke the awkward silence.

Ellen sighed, and then shifted her glance towards Virginia. Virginia shared the glance and finally decided to speak.

"Viola, remember when you asked if we had a roommate last year?"

"Yes...?" Viola stared blankly at them both, wondering where they were getting it.

"Well, we did. Her name was Mary Sue."

Viola sat there puzzled. "I'm guessing the reason why you called me over has to do with why she's not here?"

Virginia and Ellen nodded, solemnly. Ellen proceeded. "Mary was a wildseed like you and me. She was a sweet, bright girl, and she melded well with us. We thought we would be inseparable..."

"But she was brainwashed!" Virginia jumped in.

"Brainwashed?" Viola lifted an eyebrow.

"Yep. And when we tried to save her...she disappeared."

"Disappeared? Can that just happen?" Viola was becoming more confused. _What?_

"Well, it is the magic world. Anything could happen. And anything could've happened to her!" Virginia leaned in intensely at the end of this statement.

"Wait wait wait!" Viola finally burst. "What does this have to do with me?"

Before Virginia could open her mouth again, Ellen stopped her. "Maybe we should start from the beginning?" Virginia paused, and then nodded in agreement.

Ellen then began speaking. "It all started the first week of classes. Mary was an athlete at heart, so she decided to take a gym class to take a break from the overwhelming magic information that was being thrown at us wildseeds. There, she met a boy named Damien..."

"But Damien wasn't just a boy. He was a demon!" Virginia interrupted. "Even before we had confirmed it, you could tell by just looking at him. His blue skin, sharp nails, and leathery bat wings. You could tell something was off!"

Ellen took a moment to wait till Virginia had calmed down before continuing. "I think you should just let me tell the story." Virginia sighed, and then again nodded in agreement. Ellen patted her roommate on the back before continuing.

"Anyway, Mary was very good-natured, and of course a wildseed, so she couldn't have realized anything was actually amiss. But she never told us about this first encounter until after the Initiation assembly. Damien was a senior, and he chose Mary as his freshman. That week, the only command he actually gave her was to write a love letter. I helped her write it. Somehow that love letter ended up on Grabby's desk, but he had this ridiculous sob story about how it ended up there was someone with mal-intent had stolen it to get back at him. I think that's what really grabbed her."

Another silence surrounded the girls. _A love letter? _Viola had many questions, but decided she needed to hear the whole story first. "So, what happened next?"

"Well, after Initiation week, we thought we were safe, because Damien stopped contacting her. But...we were wrong. Around Halloween, Mary received a letter from him saying he wanted to talk to her. She naively obliged. After that, despite all our warnings, she slowly began to spend more time with him. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but Virginia and her brother were very concerned, and that made me concerned. But... little did we know how bad it would be..."

Ellen paused, looking for the right words. Virginia put a hand on Ellen's shoulder. "I can take it from here, Ellen." Ellen remained quiet and starting fidgeting with her robes.

"Damien tried to steal Mary's soul. Before he could, Professor Potsdam scared him away. It. Was. Terrible! If Potsdam hadn't interfered, Mary would've DIED! Damien never showed his face at school again, and once again, we thought we had survived the worst. All we wanted was to protect Mary. I loved her like a sister. But then...she started receiving strange blank messages. And BAM! All of a sudden she's pleading to Potsdam to FORGIVE that demon for trying to steal her soul so HE could attend the May Day Ball with her. Can you believe that! So, before the final we confronted her. As roommates, as friends, as Horse Hall sisters, we did one last attempt to save Mary from herself. We told her, she either had to promise to stop speaking to Damien, or we would fail the final together, and she was unwelcome to our room. It hurt to give her such an ultimatum, but we had no choice at that point...And to our relief...she agreed. She swore to never speak to him again. And such promises made in the magical world...are binding."

Viola could barely believe such a story. How does all of that occur in a school? It sounded more like a soap opera or a horror movie gone wrong. "..And that's when she disappeared?"

"Pretty much. We passed the final exam together, and got ready for the May Day Ball. Last time we saw her was after we entered the dance. We assumed she had just left for home early, probably exhausted from the year's events. But, then Potsdam told us that she wasn't coming back. When we asked her why, she wouldn't tell us. If it was as simple as she had given up her magic, she would have...or at least not have looked as lost in thought. Something bad happened, we're sure of it..."

Viola remained in disbelief. Her head was swimming with a million questions. _All this started with a love letter? And how did Potsdam not know all of this was happening? Wait..._

Viola's thoughts drifted on Potsdam's words. Her warning to take care really had been serious, if not more so than Viola thought. A frown formed on Viola's face as she began to wonder if she had made the right choice. If Potsdam couldn't save Mary...how could she protect everyone against _her_?

The girls sat in silence. Viola unsure what to say next, and the two sophomores unsure if they had made the right decision exposing the truth. Finally Viola stood up.

"Thank you girls for your story of caution. I'm truly sorry about your friend...and I promise I will make sure to be on high alert." Viola swallowed hard as she tried to remain calm in front of her two friends.

"No, thank YOU for listening Viola." Virginia stood and gave her a hug. After she released, Ellen embraced Viola as well. "We don't want anything happening to you too. If you need ANYTHING, please let us know."

Viola nodded at the two of them solemnly and headed back to room 103.

_This school just keeps getting better and better... And it's only just begun..._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Used

Initiation week continued on with the expected shenanigans. Seniors were barking orders to unsuspecting freshman left and right. Rita was forced to brew freshly made coffee for her senior every morning, and add the correct proportion of sugar and cream with measuring spoons before delivering it straight to the senior's room. Poor Serena had an athletic senior who needed a running partner, so every morning at the crack of dawn she literally had to be up and running.

As for Viola...she finally finished her love letter and hand delivered it as Ezra had commanded. All she received in return was that signature smirk and a wink. Her heart couldn't help but melt at this sight, but since the pow-wow with her sophomore buddies she had become more suspicious. She still had no idea what consequences writing that letter would bring. So, she continued to go to accompany him to dinner, each day wondering if the true purpose of the letter would surface. Thursday night came...and then went. Nothing.

Friday morning, the Freshmen were once again herded into the gym. Except this time, the seniors ran in hollering for them to look under their chairs. As each of them did so, they all were surprised to find folded bandanas.

"GET ON THE FLOOR AND PUT ON YOUR BLINDFOLDS FRESHIES!" they were commanded. In fear, they all obeyed, wondering what atrocity could be performed on them the last day of Initiation week. Suddenly, Viola heard a frenzied commotion all around her. Before she could possibly decipher what was going on, she felt herself pulled to her feet. She heard familiar giggles as they spun her around for what felt like an eternity. Whoever was turning her, abruptly stopped and started leading her forward.

Viola tried her best to figure out what direction her mystery partner was taking her. The smell of the gym disappeared and the fragrant smells of grass were caught in her nostrils. _Okay...we're outside._ Below her feet she could feel the concrete of the sidewalk, but without her sight she still couldn't determine what cardinal direction they were heading. Then, she heard purring...No...not purring. _An engine?_ "Lift your leg and watch your head." She did as instructed. _The vans?_ She felt around for the seat, and finally sat down when she determined it was safe. "Hold on, Ill strap you in" were the last words she heard before hearing the door slam, and finally the engine accelerating.

Viola felt the van start to decelerate, and then stop. It was hard to tell the amount of time the journey had taken. She felt herself being unbuckled, and heard the door slide open. As she was being helped out, another familiar scent caught her. A scent that immediately made her blush from her memory of it. "Ezra?" she whispered, unsure if it was really him. As she was safely guided out of the van, she got her answer.

The bandana was peeled off. As she predicted she was standing face to face with her Senior. His blue eyes pierced back at her, and as she averted her eyes from his, she eyed his signature smirk. _Gaaaah!_ Viola screamed in her head as she felt her face turn ruby. Ezra chuckled a bit. "Guess we share a closer connection than I thought if you knew it was me." Viola was paralyzed with embarrassment. When the shock finally subsided, she noticed where the were. _A beach? No. A lake! _Ezra noticed her gaze move to the scenery. "Yeah. This is the end of your Initiation week, babe. A party just for you guys." _Babe?_ Viola heard this word in her head a million times as both her and Ezra started heading closer to the lake. Along the beach were tables set up with an assortment of food and brightly colored table cloths. Both freshman and seniors were already mingling. Unlike the rest of the week, the mood was light and the air was filled with laughter and fun. Viola breathed a sigh of relief. The week of Hell was over.

Viola caught up with Serena and Rita, who were casually standing next to one of the numerous punch bowls and chatting. As she approached, the girls lit up with excitement.

"OH MY GOSH! Viola can you believe it? ITS OVER!" Rita exclaimed wrapping her arms around Viola. Viola squeeled in response and hugged back.

"I know. I thought it wouldn't end."

The girls ate an assortment of goodies off the tables and quickly stuffed themselves. Being too full to do much, the girls decided to sit near the shore and wet their feet in the water. The water felt cool, but not freezing as the weather had not gotten too nippy at that time, despite it being September. The girls sat there in silent contentment, taking in the soft lapping of the water, and the sounds of the party.

Suddenly, a voice called out to them. "Hey!" The girls looked toward the direction of the voice. Serena spoke up first. "Hey Lyn!" Lyn was Serena's senior. She was one of the most popular girls in the Senior class. She was athletic, and had a lean, toned body. Her dirty blonde hair and sparkling green eyes were also the envy of most girls at Iris. Viola thought she was the model of what a perfect girl should look like. Lyn jogged over. She gave a faint smile to Serena.

"Having a good time?"

"Yeah of course. Thanks so much for being a pal this week." Lyn patted Serena lightly on the head.

"No problem. It's not easy being new."

After this brief exchange, her smile faded, and her eyes fixed on Viola.

"Your Ezra's freshman right?"

Viola nodded hesitantly.

Lyn's face became distorted with emotion. Anger? Disgust? Viola couldn't decipher.

"Look, I know it's the end of the week, but I have a note here for him. Tell him not to respond. I don't need his crap anymore."

Lyn threw a folded piece of paper at Viola. Viola picked it up, but before she could ask what it was all about, Lyn had already started to jog away. Serena and Rita looked at Viola, just as perplexed as she was.

"What in the world was that all about?" Rita asked.

"I'm...really not sure." Viola's gaze wandered to Serena.

"Don't look at me. I have no clue." Serena quickly exclaimed. "Why don't you open it?"

"But wouldn't that be rude? I mean...it's none of my business." Viola looked down at the paper.

"Yeah, but she never said anything about not reading it yourself. Just see what it is." Rita pushed.

Viola thought about it. She was not one to butt herself into anyone's personal business, but what was the harm of reading this note? Maybe it would give her some answers about this week. She sighed before slowly opening the note. Viola was surprised to see how short it was.

"_Ezra,_

_Your letter was the most ridiculous thing I have ever read! You already got into my pants once, and that was a big mistake on my part. Go to Hell, you creep!_

_Lyn"_

Viola sat there staring at the note. She was right. She got her answer.

"Well?" Serena inquired.

"Uh...its just a stupid note. Its nothing really." Viola folded the note back to its original state. She got up and away from the girls without saying another word.

On the way to find Ezra, Viola couldn't help but start feeling a series of emotions. She was confused... hurt... angry. She felt used. All this time, she was just a pawn in Ezra's little plan to get back with Lyn! All the things he said, possibly just lies! No...she knew they were lies! Finally, she found him, hanging out with some other Wolf Hall seniors. He promptly spotted her.

"Hey cutie." The rest of the guys around him chuckled to themselves. She started to feel sick, and embarrassed. She wanted to glare at him, but couldn't find the courage.

"Hey Ezra. Um...I was told to give you this." Viola extended her hand to give the note. Ezra took the note from her hand, and swiftly brought her hand up for a kiss. Viola swallowed hard, trying not to blush from his trickery, feeling a little more pissed off. She tried harder not to show it.

"I was told to tell you not to reply." She quickly said as she retreated her hand back to her side. Ezra gave her a perplexed look, and then finally smirked. "That so? Thanks babe." And with that, Viola promptly left from the company of the gang, and she swore she heard a wolf whistle as she ran off.

Viola spent the next hour trying to distract herself from feeling hurt. The girls had found other freshman to mingle with, so she tried her best to get lost in conversation. Anything was better than remembering her stupidity of the past week. In the middle of this, she started to feel parched. "Anyone else want a drink?" She asked before she departed. Everyone said they were fine, so she left by herself to get some punch just a few feet away.

As she was pouring the ruby liquid into a cup, someone came up to her from her periphery. She glanced over, and saw Ezra. He smirked at her. _Ugh..._ Viola found herself more disgusted at the sight of him. She politely smiled back, and went back to pouring her drink.

"Hey babe." Ezra said as he put his hand on the small of her back. Viola tried not to shiver from his touch. "Hi Ezra." Viola kept her focus on her drink, trying not to look at him...and trying not to vomit all over herself.

"You busy?" Ezra continued.

Viola paused trying to think of how to answer. "Uh...Kinda."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Ezra's smirk remaining constant. She immediately became suspicious. _What is he up to?_

"Kinda huh?" he finally responded. "Guess I'll make this quick."

Viola felt Ezra grab her arm lightly. She glanced up at him prepared to yell, but started feeling him pull her closer. It all was happening so fast, she had barely time to react. Suddenly she saw his face closing in on hers.

She was no longer angry, but now had the rush of fear moving through her. She felt paralyzed. _Oh my gods, NO! _As he closed his eyes...as their lips were only millimeters apart...she snapped.

"NO!"

Her free arm happened to be the one holding her drink, and it finally sprung into action: right into Ezra's face. Time went from accelerating, to slow motion. As the red concoction splashed onto her target, Viola could feel the silence that interrupted the party radiate through her. All eyes were on the two of them.

Viola immediately dropped the cup. She stood there, mouth gaping. "WHAT THE HELL!" Ezra started rubbing his face and eyes.

As Ezra was preoccupied with the mess, Viola panicked. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go, but she ran. Just away. And as she ran, the laughter from those attending the party became fainter and fainter.

Before sunset, Viola came back to sneak onto a van to go back to school. She was lucky that she found the van her roomies were occupying. After they snuck her into the van, no one said a word. And what was there to say anyway? Viola felt completely humiliated.

When they got back to the Academy, the sun had already set. The stars were in full view, and Viola didn't feel like heading back into Horse Hall. She quietly announced to her roommates that she would go in later, and the two girls just nodded at her solemnly.

Viola didn't walk too far. She found a bench close to the hall under a tree. She sat there and just gazed up at the stars through the tree branches. It had been quite a day, and she was unsure how to feel. Of course, she was embarrassed she had been a pawn, she was angry, but... she suddenly realized she was more scared than anything. Someone had tried to kiss her...in front of EVERYONE. If she didn't stop it... Viola couldn't even find the words to describe how she would have felt if the kiss had happened. Everyone would have seen the horrible results. Everyone would think she was a monster. Everyone...

Tears suddenly started rolling down her face. She started to hate herself again. All those feelings from after the incident with Cael just came rushing at her full speed. She couldn't help it. Quietly, she started to weep into her hands.

"Viola?" She heard a familiar voice call to her. Viola felt reluctant to look up.. "Go away!" she sniffled through her hands. She lifted her head slightly from her hands to see who its was. Her heart stopped when she saw the orange of Wolf Hall, but remembering the voice...she knew it wasn't Ezra.

Donald came out of the darkness, and more into Viola's view. Viola tried hard to smile faintly at the familiar face. "Hi." She sniffled.

Donald slowly approached the bench. "May I sit here?" His voice was so sincere, as much as Viola wanted to resist, she found herself nodding. Donald took a seat the opposite end of the bench.

"You ok?" His voice remained steady. Viola nodded again. She tried not to look him straight in the eyes. She thought if she didn't, he would possibly get the hint and leave her be.

Donald just sat there in silence with Viola. _Is he here to torture me?_ Viola wanted to become irritated, but something inside her refused to let her. She couldn't describe it, other than the fact that she was glad Donald was the one who had found her rather than some other random acquaintance. She sighed silently to herself.

"So..." Donald said, breaking the silence. "I heard about what happened today."

_Oh great... _"Yeah...?" Viola looked down at the ground, refusing to look at Donald. _I must look like a fool to him. Falling for Ezra's tricks? I must look really smart..._

Donald chuckled a bit "Oh yeah. The jerk Ezra totally deserved it! Wish I could've been there to see his face!"

Viola was taken aback by the comment. Her eyes swiftly looked towards Donald, perplexed. She had thought maybe she was the laughing stock of school by now. She couldn't fathom what Donald was saying.

"Sure! Everyone's talking about it. You're a frickin hero. That jerk has been terrorizing girls since he got here. Karma finally hit him." Donald looked very satisfied saying that. Viola smiled faintly, relieved the outcome of the days shenanigans was better than she expected.

Donald smiled back. "Cheer up okay? He won't be bothering you anymore."

Viola sniffled a bit, and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry" was all she could come up with to say.

Donald got up from the bench and moved in front of Viola. He reached out his hand. "Come on. It's getting late. I'll walk you to your Hall."

Viola looked at his hand for a second, and finally accepted it. As she began to stand up, she felt her foot slip on something beneath her feet. She tried to compensate to keep balance, but...

"Whoa! You ok?"

Viola had face planted into Donald's shoulder. She began to tense up. Was it his warmth? Was it that familiar scent she had first encountered when they were in detention? She wasn't sure why.

She slowly backed away, looking downwards as she did so. She suddenly felt timid, but unlike before, it felt...she couldn't describe it. Her eyes finally lingered up to meet Donald's. She found his gentle gray eyes meet hers.

Butterflies.

That was the feeling. But not just her stomach. They were everywhere. She felt a shiver throughout her body that she couldn't react to. What was only a few seconds felt like an eternity. And with the starlight backdrop behind Donald, it might as well have been for her. Their gazes were fixated on each other.

Finally, Donald noticed what he was doing. His eyes grew wide and started averting away. Viola could see he was a little panicked and giggled at him.

Donald coughed, and regained composure. "Um...yeah..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Walk much?"


	10. Chapter 10

_**OMG! Hi hi hi hi hello! I am back! And I know I seem like I always say that every time I post, but I feel like this is the longest it's been since I last updated. I sincerely and profusely APOLOGIZE! Writers block is never fun to deal with, and let me tell you, writers block hit me BAD. I mean, I had this chapter started in April, and it had a COMPLETELY different storyline to it. Then I finished, and I was like "Uh...this is poop..." And totally scrapped the original idea. Took me at least 3 months to come up with this new storyline, and like another month to finish writing. It's still not completely what I want, but it'll have to do, cause I've already written Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 to help with my writers block, and I just want to continue with the story, ya know? I'm sure you all feel the same way, cause obviously you're still keeping updated with this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support, patience, and just for being awesome! Please R/R if you feel the need. On with the show... (Chapter 11 will be posted with this chapter. Chapter 12 is pending review)**_

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><p>Chapter 10 – Club Sign-Ups<p>

As Donald had said, Viola was indeed the talk of Iris Academy. She decided the wisest idea on Saturday was to lay low and opt out of the mall visit with her roommates. She had hoped she would finally be able to spend quality time with Serena & Rita, but with the Grabby situation and now...THIS...She couldn't imagine it being a wonderful time under the pressure of everyone's watchful eyes and whispers. So she isolated herself in room 103.

**BANG**

Viola awoke with a start on Sunday morning.

**BANG BANG**

She looked at the empty beds surrounding the door. She supposed her roommates forgot their keys again.

She got out of bed and shuffled her way to the door. As she opened it, she couldn't help but mumble "You girls should really..."

But it wasn't the girls. At least, not her roommates. Standing before her was Virginia, and what looked to be like a reluctant Ellen.

"HEEEEEEY Miss Popular" Virginia teased with a wink.

"Oh...Hi Virginia." Viola rubbed her still sleepy eyes. "Whats up?"

Virginia oozed immense enthusiasm. "We're just making some early bird rounds to encourage people to come sign up for our sports club on Wednesday. Right Ellen?"

Virginia patted Ellen hard on the back. "Ye...yeah. You should totally come join" Ellen concurred with a yawn.

"Mm hmm! Looking forward to seeing you there Miss Niemi. Be sure to tell your roomies too!" Virginia strolled towards the next door as she waved goodbye. Viola returned a small wave.

_At least it's something to look forward to this week._

To Viola's relief, the hysterics about anything dealing with her and her mishaps had begun to die down as the week progressed, so Wednesday became an exceedingly anticipated day by the roommates and herself. After a lesson in Blue magic, she joined her roommates for another walk toward the gym where the club sign-ups were to be held. Before they even entered the double doors, they could already hear the sounds of excitement from the event held within.

"Whoa!" admired Rita. "I had no idea Iris had so many clubs."

Rita stole the words right out of Viola's mouth. Viola couldn't believe how many booths were lined up, showcasing the various cliques Iris had to offer. What was even more amazing was how organized the show floor was. Despite the frenzied populous, the booths themselves were all neatly organized into rows. It felt like a labyrinth ready to be explored... that is if the labyrinth had since become a tourist destination. Viola wondered where Virginia's club was located.

Serena lead the trio into the crowd. With Serena's commanding confidence, it was surprisingly easy to stick together. The girls tried their best to peruse the kiosks as they passed. Math Club, Book Club, Save Nessie Campaign, Dragon Hunters... Viola smiled as they went along. At magic school, anything was possible, even clubs.

Abruptly, the girls collided as Serena halted to a stop.

"OW! What gives?" Viola was unlucky enough to be sandwiched. After rubbing her head to dull the pain, she was able to gaze upon the culprit.

"Hey girls! Did you know you are made of Beryllium, Gold, and Titanium?"

The stocky snake boy towered proudly in front of them, sporting a cheesy smile that was accented by his poorly shaven goatee.

"Wow...really? Be-Au-Ti?" Rita gave a hearty laugh. "That's the best the Alchemy club could come up with?"

The boy began to frown at being mocked, and possibly outsmarted, by Rita. The girls began to walk past him, giggling all the while. Viola patted the poor boy on the back. "Nice try, bud" she grinned. And they proceeded forward in search for the Sports club.

The girls found the sports club booth with no one in sight. They guessed maybe Virginia went to actively recruit more people. They each signed the club clipboard that was left behind. A few freshman and sophomores were already on the list.

"At least it'll be competitive." Serena commented as she finished scribbling her name.

"So where next?" Rita looked around in glee. The other girls knew this was a dream come true for Rita, who was bored being stuck in the room all day with nothing to do but study and gossip. But before they could decide a definite direction, their attention was directed to center stage.

"Oh my gods...is that...?" Serena looked over to Viola for confirmation, but Viola's unwavering gaze towards the stage was confirmation enough.

_Butterflies..._

**"Oh, the wind it is a a song that harbors through the winter.**

**Oh, the sail it is a door that bids the song to enter"**

The voice echoed and danced through the gym carrying the sweet melody like smooth silk. The Iris students were entranced by the unwavering baritone vocals being produced by none other than Mr. Donald Danson. Viola watched intensely, mesmerized by how cool and confident he presented himself under the watchful eyes of the herd of students below him.

**"Then let us sail the sea my friend. And let us sing together.**

**A singer lasts a season long, but the song will last forever..."**

As Donald finished the last few notes, Ellen appeared next to him. She picked up at the beginning. It became clear this beautiful melody was actually a round.

**"Oh, the wind it is a song that harbors through the winter..."**

Ellen's voice was a surprisingly full soprano. She belted the notes with ease, although her body language was not as collected as Donald's was.

**"Oh, the sail it is a door that bids the song to enter..."**

Donald joined her from here. The voices blended well in perfect harmony as the melody wrapped itself around the room. After going around twice, Ellen finished the final phrase, leaving Donald solo to finish it off.

**"A singer lasts a season long, but the song will last...forever..."**

As Donald held the final note, Viola felt his eyes search, then linger on her. She melted into a smile instantly as the crowd loudly applauded around her. Serena began to giggle when she noticed Viola's expression.

"Be sure to join the Iris Chorale!" Ellen happily announced.

Donald and Ellen joined hands on stage and bowed in tandem.

"Come on!" Serena jerked Viola forward through the crowd towards the stage. Rita trailed behind them.

They made their approach, and ran into some familiar faces.

"Hey girls!" The giddy Virginia had her arm around Ellen who was still beaming from her performance. "You didn't forget to sign up for my club did you?"

"No. We actually just signed up." Viola answered for the trio.

"Awesome! Looking forward to some good competition this year." She gave them a wink as she patted Ellen on the back. "How did you girls think of the performance?"

"Oh! It was very well done." Rita chimed. "Congratulations Ellen!" Viola and Serena nodded their approval.

Ellen blushed a little. "Thanks girls. But I really couldn't have done it without Donald."

Virginia's eyes shifted "Speaking of the little devil.."

Donald and a Falcon boy were quickly approaching the group.

"Hello ladies." The Falcon boy said with a dazzling smile. The boy stood a little taller than Donald. He flaunted porcelain skin, neat black hair, and sophisticated black glasses that shielded stunning green eyes. Even if he didn't have the robes, you would know he was a Falcon just from how he presented himself. He offered a hand to Viola. "I'm Jacob, Chorale president."

"Viola Niemi" Viola gave her his hand expecting a handshake, but instead his eyes lit up at sound of her name. "OH, so you're Viola?"

"Yes?" she nervously answered. Jacob bent down and kissed her hand. Virginia snickered as the other girls held their breaths. Viola grew wide-eyed, and looked over at Donald in surprise.

Donald just smiled and rolled his eyes. "Hey, Romeo, get over yourself, huh?"

Jacob poked his tongue out playfully at Donald, then refocused on Viola.

"So, you enjoy the performance?"

Viola smiled sweetly. "Yeah. I guess you could say I was pleasantly surprised." Her eyes shifted to Donald who simply grinned.

"So you'll join up then?" Jacob asked with surprising enthusiasm that made Viola uneasy.

"Uhhh..." Viola shrugged nervously. "I'd have to think about it."

Jacob frowned. "Aw, what a shame." He shook his head as he bit his lip, then looked at the other freshman girls. "What about you two?"

"Count me in!" Rita exclaimed excitedly.

"Uh...No thanks." Serena shook her head. "Sorry."

"Well one out of three isn't too bad." Jacob looked over at Donald with a grin. "You should try harder next time."

Donald just smiled back. "Bite me."

Jacob ignored Donald's comment, and elegantly bowed to the girls before escorting the bouncy Rita into the crowd of club-seekers.

"Uh...I should go follow them." Donald announced with a shrug. His head turned to Ellen. "Nice work up there. You were awesome." He punched her arm lightly and Ellen smiled back. "Thanks Donald. Couldn't have done it without you."

Donald nodded. "'T'was fun."

As he turned to walk away, Donald gave Viola a wink. "It was nice seeing you." Then, he disappeared into the crowd.

Viola blushed slightly and smiled to herself. The girls stood there in silence for a moment before Virginia's eyes widened and a smile crawled across her face.

"Soooo...what was THAT about?" Virginia eyed Viola.

"Huh?" Viola's thoughts snapped back to reality.

"Psh. Don't play coy with me sweetie. I saw you. And I saw him." Virginia took a step towards Viola with her hands on her hips and a mischievous smirk on her face. "It's not like you don't make it obvious."

"Oh my gods." Serena blurted out. "I KNOW, right!?"

Viola looked at the two girls in confusion. Serena stood beside Virginia and crossed her arms as she gazed at her, mouth gaping before finally saying...

"You're totally into Donald, aren't you?"

Viola was totally dumbfounded.

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><p><em><strong>Awww...Poor Viola. Anyway, just wanted to note that the song Donald and Ellen were singing is a legitimate song. Not sure of the exact title, but I learned it in school. It's a super old pagan chantsong, so I don't think it's copyrighted. If it is, I'll rewrite (again!). But seriously, Google it!**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Virginia's "Help"

For such a roller coaster ride of a beginning, the semester finally began to smooth out for Viola. She attended all her magic classes with enthusiasm, excelling at every one of the colors. Unfortunately, she still avoided Red magic like the plague, but she found it didn't hinder her abilities to succeed in all the other classes, so she figured she wasn't missing out on much.

But out of all the classes, she loved Blue the best. At her first exam, she teleported out of the room with ease, and even received a compliment from Professor Grabiner her next class session with him. During the 2nd exam her first instinct was to just teleport over the chasm, but she decided to jump over it instead. She had just learned the Boost Strength spell that day, so she thought 'why not?'

As for her Donald situation... she was still trying to figure that out. They ran into each other occasionally. Sometimes he'd bump into her during mall trips on the rare occasion he wasn't in detention. Sometimes they'd exchange some courtesies when he came to pester Virginia, or talk to Ellen. All of this would have been nice if she still only thought of him as a friendly face...

But the fact was, he wasn't just any friendly face now. And she was still coming to terms with the way she felt about him. What was once a desirable experience had now become, at best, heart-pounding.

"Hey!" Virginia called from a kiosk at the mall as Viola and her roommates passed by on one particular Saturday. They paused to say hello to their Horse Hall companion.

"Vioooollaaaa." Virginia sang when she saw her. "I need your advice."

"OK...shoot." Viola crossed her arms awaiting how she could possibly help.

"So...Donald's birthday is coming up, which I'm sure you already know.." Virginia chuckled a little at this. Viola just rolled her eyes. "And I need advice on a gift. So we have two options:" Virginia paused to reveal the two items she had chosen. "We have pan flute..." Virginia highlighted a simple, hand sized pan flute, delicately wood carved from dark wood. "OR...we have an ocarina." She highlighted with her other hand a slightly larger, ceramic ocarina. It was beautifully colored with a deep red hue, and featured a vine design that weaved around the holes, shaded in a lighter red color.

Viola was impressed. She thought both gifts were perfect, but she could only choose one . Viola pondered on this for a moment.

"Hmm...I'd pick the pan flute. It's more compact and looks more durable. Basically more practical." Viola finally decided with a nod.

"Awesome! He'll be so excited. Thanks a lot!" Virginia smiled at her. "So what did you get him?"

"Well...I haven't given it any thought really." Viola lied as she blushed deeply. She couldn't admit to Virginia she had been racking her brain for the past week, thinking of a gift that would be perfect, but not seem like she was trying too hard.

"Uh huh..." Virginia slowly nodded, unconvinced. Then, she added with a grin "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something. Maybe something to finally confess your undying love?"

"Oh, ha-ha..." Viola tried not to show the fact that her stomach was churning at the thought.

October 29th arrived. Donald's 18th Birthday. On schedule, he walked to Horse Hall to pick up his gift from Virginia. Viola declined an invitation to be present during the gift-giving, having not picked a gift at all, and not to mention how uncomfortable she would feel anyway. Instead, she stayed locked in her room as she heard the distinct voices of Donald and Virginia in the hallway. Her roommates were gone, off doing club activities they had signed up for.

She laid on her bed and covered her head with her pillow. This was a horrible situation to be in. She couldn't stop thinking about Donald...but she knew it would be unwise to do anything about it.

Why?

Because of her horrible...condition.

That's how she thought of it now: a condition. An illness from which she needed to be cured. Was there even a cure? Or would she be doomed to singledom for the rest of her life? No man would want a girl who they couldn't kiss. And she wouldn't want to be with some creep who didn't think that kind of intimacy was important.

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

"GO AWAY!" Viola yelled from beneath her pillow. She was in no mood to be entertaining. Especially if it was Virginia.

"Hey... Viola?" Viola immediately sat up when she heard the voice.

"Oh...Um...Hi Donald." She had hoped her voice wasn't too shaky from her surprise. "I'm sorry you can't come in...but I hope you have a Happy Birthday!" She walked towards the door to make sure he heard her clearly.

"Um..Thanks! Also, uh...Thanks for the gift! It was very thoughtful of you!"

_Gift? "_Huh?"

"Yeah. The pan flute is really awesome. It'll be a great addition to my collection."

_WHAT!? _ "Um...You're welcome?" Was the only reply she could come up with in her panic.

"Um..yeah..Guess I'll see you around. Later."

As soon as she heard the Hall doors slam at Donald's departure, she unlocked the door and made a bee line to room 201.

**KNOCK KNOCK**

"VIRGINIA!?"

All Viola could hear from within were giggles.

* * *

><p>In the blink of an eye, it was the week of Thanksgiving. Two class days separated Viola and taking a break from the drama known as Iris Academy. She should've been happy. Instead she was navigating the stone corridors on her way to Potsdam's office. Apparently there was something to be discussed.<p>

_Oh joy..._

She knocked on the heavy wood door.

"Come in." Came the sweet sing-song reply of the headmistress.

Viola did as she was told. As she opened the door, she noticed she was not alone during this meeting.

"Virginia!? What are you doing here?" Viola exclaimed.

"Hey!" was Virginia's enthusiastic reply.

"Please take a seat, Miss Niemi." Potsdam gave her a big smile and motioned Viola to sit the chair adjacent to Virginia.

Viola cautiously sat down. On top of Potsdam's desk directly in front of her was an open letter.

"What's this?"

"Just read it my dear." Potsdam and Virginia looked at eachother, then sat in silence as Viola read the letter to herself.

_To Headmistress Potsdam,_

_Hello. We are the parents of freshman Viola A. Niemi. We regret to inform you that we will be unable to pick-up our child for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We will be out of country on business, and have no relatives close enough to be able to keep her. We hope this does not inconvenience you or your staff. Please inform Viola that we are sorry, and that she is always in our thoughts and prayers. We love her very much. Thank you._

_Happy Holidays,_

_The Niemi's_

"Are you serious!? They couldn't write this to me personally?" Viola became very distraught. This would be her first holiday without her family, and she began to tear up at the thought of being alone. Plus, she was ultimately upset and insulted they failed to write to her as well.

"Now now dear..." Potsdam passed Viola a tissue. "It's very unfortunate, but this happens quite often. As a school, we are prepared for the few students who either choose to stay, or are forced to stay due to unforeseen circumstances. In this case, you are lucky. You have an alternative option" Potsdam threw a smile in Virginia's direction. "Would you like to tell her?"

As Viola wiped the inevitable tears from her eyes, she turned toward Virginia. Virginia gave her an endearing smile.

"You can come stay with my family. I already spoke with my parents about it, and they said they would be delighted to have more company. But if you choose to stay, that's cool too. I'd understand."

Viola wasn't sure how to feel about this. It was all so sudden. First her parents abandoned her, now she can go stay with the Dansons. THE Dansons. As in not only Virginia, but Donald too. She mildly panicked at this thought.

"I..uh...thank you for the offer Virginia." Viola then turned to the Professor. "I'd like to think about this for awhile."

"That's all well and fine." Potsdam nodded. "Whatever your decision, there' no need to inform me. If you stay, I will see you. If you decide to go with Miss Danson, I won't see you, and will have the peace of mind to know that one of our top students is safe with a reputable magic family."

"You girls are dismissed." She concluded cheerfully.

Virginia and Viola left the room uneventfully. As they began to walk down the hall, Virginia gave Viola a sly smile.

"Funny you have to think about it. I thought you would've loved to have the chance to be closer to your dreamboat" Virginia teased.

Viola was not amused. "Look Virginia, you got me already with your silly antics. I wouldn't be looking forward to what you have planned this weekend."

"Silly antics?" Virginia almost looked insulted. "I'm just trying to help you out, dear. If neither one of you makes a move, you'll end up nowhere."

"Well, maybe I want this to go nowhere!" Viola shot back with more force than she intended. "I'm not really in the greatest of situations to have a relationship at the moment."

Virginia was wide-eyed at being snapped at.

"Sorry.." Viola said solemnly.

Virginia stopped ahead and turned to Viola seriously. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed anything. If I had known you were going through...whatever it is you're going through...I wouldn't have done anything." Virginia sighed. "I just wanted to see you happy, that's all."

Viola sighed as well. _Whatever it is I'm going through huh?_ She looked up at Virginia with a small smile. "Apology accepted. And..thank you for thinking about my happiness." Virginia smiled back.

They began walking again.

"So...does this mean you don't want to come over for Thanksgiving?"

"Well..." Viola's voice dropped. "The thought of being alone during a holiday makes me feel hollow. It just doesn't feel right. Then again... I don't want to intrude..."

"You won't be intruding at all!" Virginia interrupted. "My parents LOVE meeting our friends from school, and from what they've heard about you they are really excited to meet you."

_From what they heard about me? _"And what exactly do they know about me?" Viola began to feel concerned.

"Hmm...well..." Virginia paused in contemplation. Then she began to count the instances with her fingers. "You're a wildseed. You have my old room. You're EXTREMELY gifted with magic. The Grabiner Incident. The Ezra incident..." Viola thought it was amusing her stories were "incidents."

"So they know pretty much what the rest of Iris knows, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. Should make for some interesting table conversation, don't you think?"

"I guess" Viola shrugged with a grin.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ok...so, Donald turned 18. Some of you may be like "Wha? How is he 18?" Here is my logic: If you have to be 16 to be at Iris Academy, and so in the game I believe Donald turned 17. If I am incorrect (like maybe we have some insiders reading this...*cough*) let me know, and I'll change it. But having been held back a year for not turning 5 by a certain time when I was trying to get into Kindergarten, I can understand him being a little older than everyone else. <strong>_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hope all of my readers had a good holiday! ^.^ Thanks for all your support!_

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 – Dancing in the Dark<p>

"So, how are you enjoying Iris Academy?" Mrs. Danson inquired while pouring tea.

Mr. and Mrs. Danson sat across from Viola on matching white cotton couches in their quaint formal living room. Between them was a simple mahogany coffee table that displayed a white porcelain kettle, and full cups of hot tea that Mrs. Danson had just served up.

At first glance, the Danson home looked like a normal, 2-story, middle-class dwelling. Nestled in an isolated hillside outside Springfield, Massachusetts, the outside was a facade of red brick with white shutters bordering the windows. The front porch had a classic touch, complete with greecian pillars, hanging flowers, and a swing surrounded by rocking chairs. On the inside, the pictures on the beige wall proudly displayed the children and family growing up. Even the furniture looked unexciting to the untrained eye.

Then, you look a little closer.

One of the pictures shows the family at a mountain range, with dragons flying overhead. One of the rugs is made from yeti fur. The books on the bookshelf talk of subjects like vampire customs, and there's a cookbook for enchanted kitchen utensils.

Even the Dansons themselves looked fairly normal. Mr. Danson wore a button up blue collared shirt and khakis. He shared Donald's dark gray eyes, black hair, and the dark brown skin that all his children had inherited. Mrs. Danson wore a crisp red tea dress, and when they first met, she could've swore she looked more like Virginia's older sister than her mother. They shared the same violet eyes and burgundy hair, except Mrs. Danson's was long and straight. Mrs. Danson also had lighter skin than her children. More like a nice bronze.

Viola took a sip of her tea before responding. Mint. It was a funny combination of heat and tingly coolness running down her throat.

"It's...interesting." Viola said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm sure it is." Mrs. Danson smiled sweetly. "Are you finding it hard to adjust?"

Viola smirked at the question. _After all the shenanigans you've heard about, what do you think? _"Well, at first. But now my answer is, surprisingly, no." Viola took another sip of tea. "Actually, I haven't felt this comfortable since...you know... Potsdam told me I was magical."

Mr. Danson leaned forward. "You mean, the Headmistress came to you personally to give you 'The Choice'?"

Viola nervously gulped another sip of tea. "Yes?" she hesitated. "Is that not common?"

Mr. Danson leaned back and chuckled before having a taste of his own tea. "Actually, it's not. That means you showed very special potential." He winked at her. "Which we have heard so much about. That's just more of the icing on the cake."

Viola had an innate sigh of relief. She smiled politely at the couple in front of her, and finished her cup.

"Ooo...MINT!" Virginia came bouncing into the living room with Ellen quietly trailing her. She plopped down beside Viola and poured herself a cup. She sniffed the aroma hungrily. "Mom's mint tea is always the best." She took a hearty sip, and passed another cup to Ellen who sat politely on a cushy leather chair adjacent to them.

"Only the best for my favorite little girl." Mrs. Danson smiled affectionately towards Virginia.

"I assume this means all the luggage is out of the car?" Mr. Danson asked.

"Yes sir." Virginia nodded.

"So where's your brother?"

Virginia took another sip. "He said he was tired. Went to his room."

"That's odd." Mrs. Danson looked concerned. "I'll go see if he's OK."

As she stood, she smoothed out her skirt, nodded to Viola, and sashayed her way out of the room with her red high heels clicking on the wooden floor.

"So when is William coming home?" Virginia knelt beside the coffee table to refill her cup. Ellen smiled at the sound of the name.

"Sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning." her father answered.

"Who's William?" Viola hadn't heard the name before.

"Oh. Silly me!" Virginia chuckled to herself. "William is my more awesome big brother. He graduated from Iris last year. Now he's in California studying dragons."

Virginia sat on the couch again, and leaned over to whisper into Viola's ear. "He's a known lady killer. Don't start to fall for him too, OK?"

Viola instinctively elbowed Virginia hard in the side. The mischievous girl just rolled over and laughed, while Ellen shook her head and quietly sipped her tea.

That night, the girls settled into Virginia's room to sleep. Virginia's room was on the 2nd floor, right above the kitchen, which was an important thing to note according to Virginia: "Every morning I always know if it's a good day to sleep in depending on the aroma coming from downstairs. If it's a good morning, I'll wake up immediately and get breakfast before my brothers hog all the pancakes or cinnamon buns."

It wasn't a very big room, and her four post queen sized bed that was placed on the middle of the far wall made the room that much smaller. On the right side of the bed was a small wooden bedside table, and a matching armoire. To the left was a dresser, complete with a beautifully carved vanity mirror. Viola was surprised to see this, because as soon as she entered the room, there was nothing but that dresser that hinted at this being a girl's room. The walls were painted grass green, and had an assortment posters idolizing everything from sports to rock stars. The sheets on the bed were variations of greens in plaid. And everything else, including the floor, was plain dark wood. _Very unlike my own room at home. _Viola thought. _My parents would not approve._

Viola found a spot on the floor in front of the bed to lay out her comforters and pillow. The day had been very uneventful, except for the noted absence of Donald. He didn't even come down for dinner. Yet, no one was worried, so she assumed nothing was amiss. Viola wouldn't have guessed it, the way he behaves and socializes back at school.

The girls chatted briefly about the events of the next few days while nestled in their designated sleeping arrangements. Viola mostly listened to Virginia and Ellen reminisce about the last year's feast and festivities. Eventually, silence and sleep overcame them all.

Viola awoke with a start. She had no idea why though. Her sleep had been dreamless, and she could see nothing in the immediate area that would startle her awake. In the darkness, she tried to read the ticking clock on the wall.

2AM.

She had been asleep for a mere 3 hours.

She laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes. It was much too early to be thinking of staying awake.

Then she heard it.

_Music?_

She could swear she was hearing the faint melodies of piano timbre. She sat up straight and looked around to see if anyone else was stirring. "Virginia? Ellen?" Viola sharply whispered. No answer.

Feeling curious, and relatively safe, she decided to investigate herself. Viola slowly crawled out of her spot on the floor and tip-toed to the bedroom door. The floor squeaked quietly below her, and she paused every second step to make sure the sophomore girls didn't awaken. Slowly, she opened the door just enough to slip through, as to not disturb her roommates with the creaking, then slowly shut it behind her.

Viola finally felt how chilly the house was without the comfort and warmth of her blankets. She crossed her arms against her body as she listened for the source of the sound. From out in the hall, the music had become clearer. It was definitely a piano. And it was coming from downstairs. Viola carefully felt her feet around the cold wood floor to find the staircase that overlooked the foyer.

In faint light from the lone window in the foyer below, she made out the outline of the staircase. She grabbed the railing and slowly descended the stairs towards the music. When she reached the bottom step, she stopped to listen. The music was a little louder now, and she knew she was getting close. She made a right at the staircase, hoping her ears weren't tricking her in the wrong direction.

The sound led her to the formal living room she had been chatting with the Dansons in hours before, but it wasn't until now, with the moonlight shining through the curtains, that she noticed the closed wooden door that was situated on the far side of the room. She slowly walked towards the door, trying her best to pick a path that avoided bumping into anything, especially some of the more fragile objects in the room.

When she reached the door, she stopped to take a breath. The sound was definitely coming from inside, but there was no source of light that she could see from the room ahead. Now that she was finally here, she became a little nervous. Did she really want to see what was on the other side of this door? _It's really not any of my business. What if it's a spirit that wishes to be left alone? _She grabbed the cold gold metal handle to the door, and thoughtfully paused for another moment. _Viola, what are you doing?_ She bit her lip, and decided to go for it. She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

As she did, the playing stopped.

"Whose there?" inquired the familiar voice in the darkness, in a demanding tone.

Viola's eyes widened in surprise. She never thought she would hear that tone coming from a voice she thought sounded so sweet. "...It's me." Viola quietly responded.

"Oh. Hey." Donald's voice suddenly became warm and inviting. "Did I wake you?"

Viola smiled and slipped in through the door, closing it slowly behind her. Viola leaned her back against the door in relief. "Yeah, I think so."

"I'm really sorry." Viola saw the outline of a seated Donald turn towards her from behind an open grand piano. "This is what I do when I can't sleep. Everyone else seems to ignore it. I didn't think it would bother you."

"It doesn't bother me." Viola pondered if she answered suspiciously quick. Then, she began to feel uneasy, as the silence between them began to become a little prolonged.

"Would you like me to leave?" Viola finally whispered, feeling awkward just standing in the darkness.

"No..." Donald simply answered. "Not at all. Unless you want to."

Viola bit her lip, and remained silent. She was torn on exactly how to answer. On one hand, she was trying to be done with all these feelings Donald seemed to provoke in her whenever she saw him, or even heard his voice. The butterflies that loved to dance on her skin, and flutter in her chest were becoming bothersome, especially moments like now.

On the other, she **wasn't **done with these feelings. What could she do? On most accounts, she was a normal sixteen year old girl, with hopes, feelings, and...hormones. And, as guilty as it made her feel, she enjoyed having these feelings again. They made her feel normal for the first time in three years...

"You want to sit down?" Donald finally suggested, breaking Viola out of her thoughts. Viola heard him scooted over on the piano bench for effect.

Viola hesitated before slowly walking towards the piano. Her eyes were finally adjusting to the moonlit glow from the single window in the room. The floor felt of cold wood, and from the echoes of her footsteps, her eyes were not deceiving her, and there was nothing else in the room except that single grand piano. As she got closer, Donald scooted over more, giving Viola room to sit beside him.

Viola blushed as she situated herself. She hadn't been this close to Donald since that night she fell into his arms. And she wasn't exactly comfortable to be around him in the attire she was in, now that she thought about it. She was wearing a simple black tank-top, long and gray microfiber pants. Her long brown hair was up in a messy ponytail, and some loose strands were hanging over her eyes and face. She felt vulnerable. Her eyes fixated on the piano keys in front of her. Her hands were neatly folded on her lap.

After a moment of sitting. Donald began to play again. Viola watched as his hands danced across the keys. She closed her eyes and just listened to the melody, and the emotions that permeated through it. Donald wasn't just playing the music. He was feeling it.

Viola opened her eyes in epiphany. "I know this song." she silently confessed.

Donald stopped. "Really?"

"Yes." Viola nodded to herself. "My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was younger. She loved classical music."

By the corner of her eye, Viola could see Donald smiling. "Will you sing it for me?"

Viola swallowed hard, not only at the request, but the way he requested it. She looked away. "I don't know..."

Donald chuckled. "Oh come on. Please?"

"Well...I'm...not completely sure I know the lyrics." Viola retorted, slightly flustered. "Besides, you're the singer. Can't you?"

"Because I always hear myself." Donald pouted. "Please?...I won't criticize."

Viola sighed. Donald had sounded so sincere. Even after all the drama at school that she surrounded him with, the tone in his voice made her totally feel at ease.

"OK..." she sighed, defeated. "But don't expect anything incredible."

Donald smiled, and without saying a word, began playing again. It was a piece by Handel.

Viola took a deep breath before quietly singing the main phrases of the song. She tried her best to imitate the italian diction she had listened her grandmother recite years ago, embarrassed that she was possibly butchering such a beautiful language. All the while, Donald's hands floated effortlessly over the ivories.

After she completed the final notes of the melody, Donald suddenly stopped playing. In the silence, Viola felt his eyes lingering on her. She shifted her own to look back.

At this close proximity, his gray eyes were exactly as she had remembered them the one night they spoke together. The butterflies began to dance in Viola's stomach, but the expression on his face made them stop. Donald's eyes had become softer. Almost sad.

He faintly smiled at her. "Do you know what those words mean?"

Viola slowly shook her head 'no.' She had never really thought about it before. But she always knew the aria was hauntingly beauitful.

Donald looked down at the piano keys. He whispered the translation. _"Let me weep, my cruel fate...and I sigh for liberty." _Donald chortled nervously before continuing. "In the opera, they mean that pretty literally."

Donald paused for a long time. Viola tried to read the expression on his face, wondering what he could be thinking.

The smile slowly melted away. "Somehow I feel you understand those words in a different way."

Viola finally turned her head towards Donald in surprise. She wasn't sure what to say, and Viola felt a tingle up her spine at the thought of how right he was. Those words mirrored her feelings perfectly. On the outside, she gave the impression that she was now free to be herself, as most wildseeds do. But in reality, she was still locked in a prison of her own doing. A sixteen year old magical freshman girl, with the unfortunate ability to curse whomever's lips came in contact with her own. How she longed to rid herself of this burden. Whether she meant to or not, Donald had heard those emotions from her.

Viola felt she had to say something to defend herself. She almost spoke up, until Donald cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm talking nonsense."

And it was then that Viola really saw Donald in faint moonlight. His hair was a mess, and he had bags under his eyes. It was clear he needed rest, but from what?

With no hesitation, Donald began playing again. Viola watched him again as he played, but more thoroughly. It wasn't just his hands dancing on the keys, but his whole body moved to the notes. She moved up from his hands to his exposed arms. Viola blushed slightly as she noticed just how defined Donald was. The lean muscle in his arms rippled as his fingers coordinated on the keys.

Donald was just as under-dressed as she was. He was wearing a sleeveless white top, and red flannel pants. It was kind of weird seeing Donald without his school robes on. Then again, he probably felt the same way about seeing her.

Donald went through a wide variety of music. More upbeat songs this time, most of which Viola had never heard of before. And she just sat there, listening to his wonderful musicianship.

After playing a magical song's cadence, he looked at her again. It seemed the music had brought his spirits up again. "Hey. You want to see something cool?"

Viola smiled back, and giggled a little. The incidence earlier had already escaped her mind. "It depends on what it is I suppose."

"Oh don't worry." He smirked at her. "I think you'd want to see this."

He stood up from the bench. Viola didn't understand the words he recited, but as he finished, the piano began to play by itself. Viola recognized the song as a Chopin nocturne. Viola was astounded.

"Oh my gosh." she simply whispered. "That's amazing."

"Yeah. My brother taught me that." Donald said proudly. He then extended a hand to her. "Care to dance, my lady?"

Viola just stared at him. "Uh...what?" She laughed nervously. "Isn't this a waltz?"

"Yeah? So?" Donald shrugged.

Viola shook her head. "Are you crazy? I can't waltz."

Donald maintained his smile. "Then we don't have to waltz. Just dance with me."

Viola couldn't believe this was happening. Even worse, she felt no inhibitions, despite her better judgment.

_If this is a dream, please don't wake me up._

She placed her hand in his, and got up from the bench. He led her a few steps away from the piano before turning towards her. He took a step forward, and placed his other hand on her hip. The hand that had led her to this spot was lightly clasped around her own.

Viola's face immediately began to feel hot at the "immense" skin to skin contact that was taking place between herself and Donald. The long robes that usually covered their arms were now gone, leaving Donald's arms now exposed to her own. His skin was warm and soft as it grazed her own with their motion. Viola did whatever she could do avoid looking at Donald in the eye. She felt her heart racing, bounding, wanting to leap out of her chest. She swayed with him to the music, her head turned to the left, and simply counting in her head to the music: _ONE two three TWO two three..._

For a minute, the two remained silent, engulfing themselves to the movement of the music.

"You have a beautiful voice." Donald finally said, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Viola snapped out of her thoughts.

Donald chuckled. "I know I promised I wouldn't criticize, but I just thought you should know."

"Oh..." Was the only thing Viola could think of to say. "...Thank you."

The song was nearing completion now, and Viola wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or upset. These mixed feelings so terrible to deal with.

"Hey...Viola?" Donald whispered above the music.

Viola finally took a chance and looked at him. In the soft moonlight that shone through the window, he seemed to glow. For that moment, Viola had forgotten to breathe. Now that they were face to face, she finally realized how close he was to her. Viola was shorter by a few inches, and the way Donald towered over her gave her a sense of protection, but also vulnerability. Her face burned as she gazed into his eyes.

_Damn butterflies..._

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

Viola could barely tell, but it looked like Donald was flustered. "I was thinking...ya know...maybe..."

**click**

The lights turned on, and the brightness temporarily blinded the two of them. In shock, the two let go of eachother.

"Well, well, well..." Viola heard from an unfamiliar voice.

Donald squinted through the light before his own face lit up. "William!" he exclaimed.

Viola looked to the doorway to see this new Danson brother. William was much taller than Donald, but looked very similar, even his smile. What caught Viola by surprised was his periwinkle hair. From the looks of it, it looked natural. He had it cropped short, and spiked up. For it being so early in the morning, he looked chipper and well dressed, in a white polo and khakis.

"Hey Donald. How ya been? Busy it looks like." William said with a cheeky grin. _Exactly like Donald._

Donald chuckled uneasily. "Um. William, this is Viola. She's a wildseed freshman. Viola, this is my older brother, William."

"Ah, another wildseed." William noted while shaking Viola's hand that she had extended.

"It's nice to meet you." Viola smiled sweetly.

"Same." William nodded. "Hey Donald. Why don't you help me with my stuff? We'll talk more when we get upstairs."

"Sure." Donald looked over to the piano, and shut the cover by snapping his fingers. The music had stopped playing during their introductions. He smiled at Viola.

"Um, thanks for the company." And he walked out the door past his brother.

Viola watched him leave, then looked at William. William crossed his arms while leaning on the doorway. His smile melted as Donald left the room. Viola became nervous at the serious look he was giving her.

"I'm not sure what's going on between you two..." He calmly spoke, looking over his shoulder. Viola guessed it was to make sure Donald was out of earshot. He looked back after he was sure. "I just want to warn you: be careful with my brother. He may not show it, but he's quite fragile. And I'm not quite sure he's all the way over what happened last year."

_Last year? _Viola simply nodded sheepishly at first, surprised at the protectiveness William had towards Donald. Then her thoughts began to wander. Last year had apparently been quite eventful for the Danson clan. It wasn't in her character to pry, but as William began to turn around, she couldn't help herself.

"Um, excuse me?"

William turned around to face her again.

"What exactly happened? I mean...if you don't mind me asking." Viola's voice trailed off. She wasn't quite sure why she was so curious, and she began to feel guilty.

William looked pensive for a moment, and then finally sighed. "A wildseed girl, much like yourself, broke his heart. Fell for some guy who was nothing but trouble. Then, she just...disappeared. He wasn't quite right all summer."

Viola's eyes widened. _Disappeared!? _This story sounded all too familiar. "...What was her name?"

"...Mary."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Hope

It was Sunday. The Dansons had just dropped off the four Iris Academy students that stayed with them over the Thanksgiving holiday. After the first night, the weekend had continued without much excitement, at least for Viola. There was good food, some laughs, and some good times shared at the Danson residence, but there was always something nagging at her.

Of course, the first night had remained the first thing on her mind the whole time. She decided it was best to keep it unknown to the rest of the Dansons what had transpired. When the sun came up, William apologized for dropping the bomb on her, as he had only assumed something was going on between herself and Donald. This did very little to ease her mind, as, at least on her part, she did have something for Donald. This new found knowledge seemed to be another roadblock in what she already knew was an impassable route. She couldn't bear to be another girl that hurts him.

Now that she was alone in her dorm room, the emotions that she kept bottled up all weekend overflowed. She immediately laid on her bed, and cried herself to sleep. The sounds of her roommates returning did not stir her.

The next few weeks were the same roller coaster of emotions. In public, she tried her best to be bubbly and enthusiastic. She placed all her focus on the tasks at hand, at the latest gossip being passed around, or on the latest activity she was invited to attend. Then, in the comfort and safety of a deserted dorm room, she would just let it go. By the second week her tears had dried up for this emotional funk she was in. She would mostly just sit or lay quietly, just letting herself be engulfed in her own mental turmoil. Even though she was surrounded by friends, and people she knew truly cared, she felt so alone. Because none of her peers knew about what she really was. They didn't know what really happened before she made "The Choice." And she wanted to keep it that way.

On the penultimate day before Winter Break, Serena, Rita, and herself were giggling over Rita's latest tryst, there was a knock on the door. Serena got up to answer it.

"Oh, Hello Headmistress." Serena almost gasped in surprise. "How are you this evening?"

"Very well thank you." Was the chipper response. "Is Viola available?"

Rita and Viola looked at eachother, and Viola shrugged. "I'm here, Professor." Viola called from within the room.

Serena opened the door wider for the Headmistress to poke her head in. "Oh Viola. Good evening." she smiled. "Grab your cloak, and join me for a walk."

Serena and Rita looked concernedly at Viola as Viola nodded to the headmistress and did as was instructed. She walked out the door while fitting her heavy green cloak over her shoulders, and followed the professor out of Horse Hall.

As the heavy wooden doors creaked shut, they proceeded down the stone steps. Viola finally spoke up.

"Is everything alright?"

Potsdam simply smiled at her. "All in good time dear. Let us get a little more privacy."

It was a chilly December afternoon. Clouds filled the sky like gray cotton overhead. There was no snow on the ground, but the barren trees were evidence enough that winter was in full effect. The two strolled along the cobblestone trails of the school grounds with only the occasional crunch of dead leaves underfoot breaking the silence between them.

Eventually they reached what looked to be a greenhouse. The moderately sized glass structure was in a fairly secluded corner of the academy, surrounded by tall evergreens and the remains of rose bushes that were long dead. Right next to the greenhouse entrance was a simple wooden bench. Viola followed Potsdam to this spot.

"Sit" Potsdam commanded and patted the spot on the bench beside her. Viola straightened the back of her cloak as she sat on the cool wooden surface.

The two sat in silence, as Viola waited for whatever the headmistress wanted to discuss. It seemed like they had been sitting there for several minutes before Viola heard the rare chirping of birds in the distance. She couldn't help but smile to herself at their songs.

Viola had been looking away from the cobblestone trail when she heard someone approaching. She looked over, and held her breath in surprise. Donald and Luke heading towards them.

Donald immediately smiled when he saw Viola looking at them. Luke started laughing for what Viola thought was no apparent reason.

"Ah, just the two we were waiting for." Potsdam clapped her hands in excitement.

The two boys bowed elegantly to the professor, and Potsdam nodded her head in response.

"Donald, please open the door for us, will you?" The professor asked, sweetly.

Donald nodded, and approached the door with a silver key he retrieved from the pocket of his robes. He turned the key and a distinctive click alerted the door had been unlocked. Donald stepped back from the door.

"Anything else, ma'am?" Donald snuck a quick look at Viola that made Viola's heart flutter and her cheeks burn.

"Yes. Please wait out here. We will be done in a short while." Potsdam waved her hand for them to go.

"As you wish." The boys graciously stepped to the side.

Potsdam smiled at Viola and motioned for her to open the door. As she did, Viola couldn't believe her eyes.

The room was gorgeous. A bounty of colors and fragrances from the beautiful blossoms that resided within. Viola stepped in and was immediately awestruck. Many plants looked completely exotic, like nothing she had ever seen or heard of before. She began to strip herself of her cloak, as the warm air enveloped her. She found herself strolling around independently, taking in the wonderful sight.

After one round through the room, Viola returned to Potsdam at the entrance. The door was closed, providing a barrier between their indoor paradise, and the bitter cold of winter outside. Viola also supposed that this was the privacy Potsdam had spoke of earlier.

"What do you think, dear?" Potsdam asked sweetly.

"This is..." Viola took a breath to collect her thoughts. "extraordinary."

Potsdam laughed in glee. "I'm glad you think so."

Potsdam coughed to clear her throat before continuing. "Do you know why these plants are so special?"

Viola looked around and tried to think of anything that stood out. She couldn't. She shook her head. "No."

Potsdam chuckled. "They all started as seeds."

Viola raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes" continued the Headmistress. "Every plant you see in this room, was once upon a time a seed. Some of them might even be classified as wild." She winked at Viola. Viola smirked at the reference. _What is she getting at?_

"Compared to these full grown plants, a seed may seem unremarkable. But that is where most people are wrong. The seed is the most remarkable part of a plant's life. In order for it to even think about germinating, it must first be placed in the right environment. It must be given the gifts of life: water, air, light, earth. Only when these gifts are given in the desired combination, can the seed begin to think of thriving."

Potsdam walked over to a beautiful pink rose. She touched the petals delicately, and began to frown.

"But...that's only a thought, not a guarantee. Whose to say the sun will continue shining? It may cease raining. The earth paved over. Whose to say that the seed will ultimately fail, and the beautiful flower will never blossom?"

Potsdam looked to Viola.

"Do you think the seed thinks of those things?"

Viola remained silent.

"Of course, the seed doesn't." Potsdam continued. "The seed only knows of one thing: Hope. Yes, hope that it will one day break their shelled cage, break through the earth, and begin to blossom."

Potsdam smiled again. "The seed must not lose hope. Or else it will never know it's potential."

Viola looked down in doubt. Potsdam walked up to Viola, and with a gentle hand, cupped Viola's chin to tilt her head back up.

"Despair is the number one deterrent of hope. You must not give in."

"I?" Viola asked innocently.

Potsdam winked at her. "I meant the seed, dear"

Viola smiled at their little analogy. She still remained unconvinced, but she appreciated the kind words the professor had just shared with her.

The professor casually opened the greenhouse door, and motioned for the two boys to come in.

"Please let Ms. Niemi stay as long as she wishes." she smiled at Viola and walked out the door.

Luke closed the door behind him, leaving Donald, Viola and himself alone in the greenhouse. Suddenly he looked down at his watch. "Oh look at the time! I gotta go. See ya!" Then, Luke swiftly departed.

_Huh? _"What was that about?" Viola looked at Donald, confused.

"Who knows? I'm his roommate, not his keeper." Donald shrugged. "Besides, he's never been one to get his hands dirty." Then he grinned at her. "So why did Potsdam bring you here anyway?"

Viola smirked. It was her turn to shrug. "Life lesson, I suppose." she said, cryptically.

Donald gave her a suspicious look, but didn't push the matter.

"So...What makes you so special to be keeper of the keys?" Viola teased.

Donald laughed. "Because Potsdam loves me, believe it or not."

Viola crossed her arms and smirked. "Uh huh..."

Donald smiled back. "But really, this is how I make up my merits that Grabiner takes away weekly. I volunteer to take care of the plants in here, among other chores Potsdam can scrounge up for Luke and I."

Suddenly Donald stopped smiling. "So..." he began hestitantly. "...Do you want to have some privacy?"

* * *

>Viola smiled a little, and shook her head 'no'. She began to stroll around the room, admiring the plants thoughtfully to herself. Donald trailed further behind her, remaining silent. When she was finished, Donald locked the greenhouse behind them, and quietly walked her back to Horse Hall.<p><p>

"Have wonderful break, my magical snowflakes!" Potsdam announced.

The student filled gym began to disperse the evening before break. Gasps from the crowd ahead of Viola alerted that something interesting had happened outside. As she approached the doors, she saw exactly what it was.

It was practically a blizzard outside. There was at least six inches of snow already blanketing the ground. Some people were cheering in glee, happy to finally see the first snow of the season. Others grumbled under their breaths as they shivered under their cloaks.

As Viola began to descend the short steps from the gym, she was pulled to the side by Virginia.

"Hey! Some Wolf hall boys invited us to a snowball fight? You in?" she shouted over the crowd.

"Um. Sure." Viola said in surprise.

"Great! Tell your roomies. Meet us behind Horse Hall in an hour."

Viola, Rita, and Serena arrived on time to find Virginia and Ellen huddled together to warm up. The snow had let up a little, but it was now darker, and the disappearing light combined with the frozen precipitate intensified the cold air. Despite breathing through their noses, steam was still being emitted as they exhaled. The four girls that could tried Warm spells, but they all wasted their magic in vain. They all hoped they wouldn't be waiting too long for their Wolf Hall opponents.

Then the blob of orange appeared in the distance. As they got closer, the girls saw that their opponents weren't all from Wolf Hall. There was Luke, Donald, and Kyo representing the Wolves. Jacob and Logan, Luke's twin who Viola had only seen on rare occasions, blended in more with the twilight in their dark blue Falcon cloaks.

"Ah, I see you girls didn't chicken out." Jacob made a sly grin.

"Of course not." Donald defended, crossing his arms to the girls. "They're Horses. You shouldn't expect anything less."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Loser face." Virginia teased. "So how are we doing this?"

"All out war!" Serena exclaimed excitedly, almost grabbing a fist full of snow. Ellen stopped her.

"We need some ground rules first. It's only fair."

Serena nodded with a pout.

Virginia and Jacob diplomatically discussed the rules. No magic, as it would be unfair for the freshman. Boys v Girls. If you get hit in the head or chest you're considered "dead" and have to sit out the rest of the round. Boundaries are from the back of the hall building to the trees. First group with 3 victories, wins.

Everyone prepared their ammunition of packed snow and positioned themselves strategically. Virginia shouted for the match to begin, and snowballs were airborne.

The first match went by quickly. Virginia dispatched three boys in a row, and with no casualties on the girls' side, the other two went down just as fast.

The second match, the boys retaliated with more of a challenge. It was close, a two on one between the two Falcon boys and Serena, but ultimately Logan ended that match with a cannon to Serena's chest.

The third match was probably the most intense of the competition. No one got hit for at least the first ten minutes, until Viola got her first kill with a curve ball to the side of Jacob's head, knocking off his glasses. Ultimately, the girls won, with a dual between Ellen and Luke, where Ellen slapped Luke's own snowball back to his chest with a well performed volleyball spike.

"Alright girls! One more win and we'll be victors!" Virginia cried, like a commander giving her troops morale.

The boys grumbled to themselves, and the fourth match was soon underway.

Serena, Rita, and Ellen were eliminated off the bat, leaving Virginia and Viola to hold their own. Viola played mostly defensively, ducking and diving to avoid being hit. Virginia played aggressively, finally hitting Jacob in the face, and Luke in the back of the head. Viola rolled on the ground, avoiding Kyo's rocket towards her, and while getting back up, threw a wild ball that luckily got him in the sternum. Two on two now.

"Watch out!" Virginia yelled as Logan tried to hit Viola unsuspectingly from her blind spot. Virginia dove in front of her while throwing her own snow toward Logan. Both of them were hit simultaneously. Virginia was hit in the face as Logan was barely hit on his right chest. Everyone decided it was probably best just to call them both out, rather than try to justify who hit who first.

Viola now found herself one on one against Donald. Unfortunately, Donald had been mostly passive during this game, initiating sneak attacks when prompted. Viola looked around her and had no idea where Donald was. Then she spotted a snow drift pile.

_Perfect hiding spot._ She packed her own ball, and slowly made her way to the pile.

As she made her approach, she tried to extend her neck to possibly view the other side.

"BOO!" Donald suddenly pounced from behind the snow barrier.

"EEEEEEEEK!" shrieked Viola as she was thrown to the ground by Donald. While on the ground, she instinctively smashed her snowball right into Donald's cheek with a loud SMACK. Donald rolled off of her, holding his cheek as he did so. Viola gasped.

"Oh my gods! Donald are you okay!?" Viola crawled over to him. After moment, Donald began to burst with laughter. He turned over so Viola could see his face. His cheek was a rosy pink, but he was relatively unharmed. Viola giggled at him, relieved she didn't seriously hurt him. Donald poked her already numbingly cold nose with a little bit of snow, and winked at her.

"WOOOOOOOO VIOLA!" Virginia cheered, followed by the hoots and hollers of the other girls.

Viola extended her hand to Donald to help him up as the group of girls and guys hurried over to them.

"Good game, Ms. Niemi" Jacob nodded to her. The other guys also nodded and Viola smiled at them as she brushed the snow off of her cloak. "Thanks guys." She bit her lower lip, a little embarrassed from the attention.

Logan punched Donald lightly on the arm. "Just had to let her win, huh?" Donald punched him back with a cheeky grin.

The two groups wished everyone a good holiday, and walked their separate ways. It would be the last time most them saw eachother until the new year.

Room 103 was bustling with the three girls simultaneously getting ready for bed, and doing last minute packing. This was the first time Viola would be returning home since starting magic school, and she was slightly nervous about returning to "normalcy" after experiencing this whole other world. For the first time, she actually felt like a witch.

She was straightening out her desk, when she came across the picture of Cael. She caressed the frame, reflecting on how far she's gotten from that fateful day three years ago. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Who the heck could that be at this time of night?" Rita wondered aloud. Viola looked at the clock next to the picture frame on the desk. It was a little past ten.

Another knock, slightly softer this time. "Viola?" the voice called out.

Serena and Rita looked over to Viola. Viola shrugged and slowly walked to the door to open it.

"Hey." Donald said lowly as Viola slightly opened the door to peek at who it was. His dark hair was covered in snow, while melted precipitate ran down the side of his face. His cheek was no longer as rosy, but it was clear from the pinkish glow from his nose that he had been outside for some time. His look was serious, like he was concerned...or even scared. Viola's eyes widened.

"Donald, is everything okay?" Viola stepped through the door and closed it behind her, leaving Donald and herself alone in the hallway. The lights in the hallway had already lowered to a soft glow, a signal to the residence that it was time to think of sleeping.

"Yeah..." was Donald's simple response. He then revealed a bouquet of flowers he had been holding behind his back. Viola looked down at the beautiful arrangement. Gardenias, blue forget-me-nots, and white daisies Viola recognized from the greenhouse. Donald held them out to her.

"Merry Christmas."

Viola accepted the bouquet with a surprised blush. She touched the soft petals delicately, and could smell the fragrant gardenias without lowering her head to them. She looked up at Donald.

"Thank you." She said, with a smile she couldn't control. "They're beautiful."

Donald briefly smiled at her, which made Viola's smile drop in tandem with his. Donald began to rub his neck nervously.

"Listen..." he hesitated. "I'm not good at this..."

He sighed. "I really like you. And I know that this is horrible timing, since there's a break and all...but...I needed to get this off my chest. I just..."

Viola's eyes widened as Donald's voice dropped with those last words. She was sure her heart just skipped a beat.

"I..." Viola started, shakily. _"The seed must not lose hope. Or else it will never know it's potential." _"I'm not good at this either."

Viola could feel the heat radiating off her face. She couldn't believe this was happening, or even what she was about to say.

Donald's expression went from defeated, to surprise. "What?"

"I feel the same way about you." Viola finally admitted, and looked down at the floor immediately. Suddenly she began to smile as she felt as if a weight lifted off of her.

"Really?" Donald slightly chuckled as he asked this. Viola looked back up at him with a smile. She nodded, sheepishly. Donald began to blush.

"Wow... Great!" he smiled down at Viola. The two shared a small laugh.

"So... I guess I'll see you in a few weeks?" Donald returned to his normal cheeky grin. Viola's felt butterflies throughout her body.

"Yeah...I'll see you." Viola quietly answered.

She clutched the bouquet tightly, and held it close as she watched Donald walk out the heavy double doors.

Viola fell against her door, and turned the knob. As the door swung into the room, the girls saw what Viola was holding.

"Oh my gods, Viola." Rita gasped. "Who gave that to you?"

Viola, grinned like a Cheshire cat. She closed the door. And her two roommates shrieked at her in glee as she whispered his name.


End file.
